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Reverted edits by 2409:4073:487:92BD:0:0:1E5D:70A5 (talk) to last version by DaxServer

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{{short description|Railway station in Mumbai, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox station
| name = [[File:Indian_Railways_Suburban_Railway_Logo.svg|60px|up|link=Mumbai Suburban Railway]]<br>मुंबई सेंट्रल<hr />{{small|Mumbai Central}}
| style = Mumbai Suburban Railway
| type = [[Indian Railways]] Terminal Station<br>[[Mumbai Suburban Railway]] station
| image = Mumbai Central main building at night.jpg
| image_caption =
| address = Anandrao Nair Marg, Mumbai, Maharashtra
| country = India
| coordinates = {{Coord|18.9697|72.8194|type:railwaystation_region:IN|display=inline}}
| elevation = {{convert|6.62|m|ft}}
| owned = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Western Railways]]
| line = [[Western line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)|Western Line]], [[Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line]], [[New Delhi–Mumbai main line]]
| platform = 9 (5 mainline trains + 4 for Mumbai suburban/local trains)
| tracks = 9
| other = [[BEST bus|BEST]], [[Line 3 (Mumbai Metro)|Metro]], [[MSRTC]]
| structure = Standard on-ground station
| parking = Yes (on the outstation side)
| ADA =
| status = Functioning
| code = {{Indian railway code
| code = MMCT
| zone = [[Western Railways]]
| division = {{rwd|Mumbai WR}}
}}
| opened = 18 December 1930
| closed =
| rebuilt =
| electrified = 18 December 1930
| former = Bellasis Road (Suburban station)
Bombay Central (from 1930 to 1995)
| passengers =
| pass_system =
| pass_year =
| pass_percent =
| services = {{s-rail|title=Mumbai Suburban Railway}}
{{s-line|system=Mumbai Suburban Railway|line=Western |previous=Grant Road |next=Mahalaxmi}}
| route_map = {{MSR Western line}}
| mapframe =
| map_state = collapsed
| map_type = Mumbai
| map_dot_label = Mumbai Central
}}

'''Mumbai Central''' (formerly '''Bombay Central''', station code: '''MMCT'''<ref>{{cite web |title=Station Code Index |url=http://www.indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/directorate/coaching/pdf/Station_code.pdf|website=Portal of Indian Railways |access-date=29 April 2019 |page=46 |date=2015}}</ref>) is a major railway station on the [[Western line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)|Western line]], situated in [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]] in an area known by the same name. It serves as a major stop for both Local and Inter-City/Express trains with separate platforms for them. It is also a terminal for several long-distance trains including the [[Mumbai Rajdhani Express]]. It is one of the five major Terminal stations in Mumbai while others being [[Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus|Mumbai CST]], [[Lokmanya Tilak Terminus|Mumbai LTT]], [[Bandra Terminus|Mumbai BDTS]] and [[Dadar railway station|Mumbai Dadar]]. Trains depart from the station connecting various destinations mostly across states in the northern, western and north-western parts of India. The station was renamed from ''Bombay Central'' to ''Mumbai Central'' in 1997, following the [[List of renamed places in India|change of Bombay to Mumbai]]. In 2018, a resolution was passed to change the station code to ''MMCT'',<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mehta |first1=Manthank |title=Mumbai Central station 'disappears' from railway app, commuters derailed |url=https://m.timesofindia.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-central-stn-disappears-from-rly-app-commuters-derailed/amp_articleshow/61731764.cms |access-date=26 June 2019 |agency=Times of India |publisher=TNN |date=21 Nov 2017}}</ref> with implementation ongoing.

[[File:BCT5.JPG|thumb|right| An inside view of Mumbai Central Station]]

==History==
It was designed by the British architect [[Claude Batley]], and constructed by the [[Shapoorji Pallonji Group|Shapoorji Pallonji]] in 1930 in a record time of 21 months. The project was then costed INR 15.6 million.<ref name="cyruslegacy">{{cite news|author=Nauzer K Bharucha|date=25 November 2011|title=Cyrus Mistry's entrepreneurial legacy|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-11-25/news/30441106_1_pallonji-mistry-spcl-cyrus-mistry|access-date=19 March 2012}}</ref>

When the station opened in 1930, ''[[The Times of India]]'' suggested that the name Bombay Central was inspired by the [[Grand Central Terminal]] in New York City. The paper argued that the station should have been called [[Kamathipura]], after the area it was located in. The paper suggested that the name Kamathipura was probably ruled out, because the area is a [[red-light district]].<ref>{{cite web|title=As recent demands in Mumbai show, battles over station names never seem to end|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/as-recent-demands-in-mumbai-show-battles-over-station-names-never-seem-to-end/articleshow/57696982.cms|access-date=17 March 2017|website=The Economic Times}}</ref>

The [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]] extended its reach from [[Baroda]] to [[Pathankot]] via [[Delhi]]. The Colaba-Ballard Pier railway station proved insufficient in meeting the demands of a growing population which led the government to make plans for the construction of Bombay Central.

The present suburban route that once ran till Colaba was earlier served by Bellasis Road station. It was renamed Bombay Central (local) after the construction of the long-distance Bombay Central Terminus (BCT) on the eastern side.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://irfca.org/articles/station-renaming.html |title = [IRFCA] Renaming of Stations}}</ref> On 1 Feb 2018, a resolution was passed to change the station code from BCT to MMCT.

==Infrastructure==

===Platforms and layout===
The station is divided into two parts. The eastern half of the station serves long-distance trains operated by [[Western Railways]] while the western half serves commuter trains running on the [[Churchgate]]–[[Virar]] suburban section of Western Railways. The mainline section has five high level platforms terminating in a large concourse on the southern end. The suburban section has four high level platforms. All the platforms are connected by foot overbridges and the mainline platforms are wheelchair accessible from the south end.

===Tickets and reservation===
A large Passenger Reservation Center with several ticket windows is located on the east side of the mainline station. [[Rail transport in India#Ticketing|Tickets between any two stations in India]] on any train offering reserved accommodation can be purchased from this facility. There are many Unreserved Ticket Counters in the main concourse for purchasing unreserved tickets for immediate travel on express and passenger trains starting from Mumbai Central. The west and south exits of the suburban section of the station have ticket windows for purchasing tickets for travel on the suburban trains. Suburban train tickets can also be purchased from automatic [[ticket vending machine]]s (ATVMs) located at several locations in the station premises.

===Food and other facilities===
The concourse on the mainline side has an outlet of Rajdhani chain of restaurants serving authentic Indian food.

Bellasis Rail Café at Mumbai Central is located on the first floor near Bellasis Road overbridge connecting Mumbai Central station near the south end booking office. Items in this café are available in food packets, with ready to take away facility.

There are several stalls in the concourse and on the suburban platforms serving snacks, chips, bottled water and cold drinks (soda). There are book stalls in the main concourse and on the suburban platforms selling newspapers, magazines and other reading material. Train timetables are also available at the book stalls. Restrooms (toilets) are available in the concourse on the mainline side.

===Gardens===
There are two gardens located outside the station. One of the gardens houses a historic locomotive, popularly known as the "Little red horse". The locomotive was built by English firm Kerr Stuart and Co. in 1928. The engine operated on the Devgarh-Baria Railway Narrow Gauge line, owned by the Princely state of Devgarh-Baria. The line was merged into Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (BB&CI) in August 1949, and later became part of the Western Railway. The engine served for 61 years, before being transferred to the Pratapnagar workshop for shunting duties in 1990. It was placed at the garden in front of the Mumbai Central station in 1991 to commemorate its platinum jubilee.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mumbai: 90-year-old 'Little red horse' shunted out by Metro III|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-news-90-year-old-little-red-horse-shunted-out-by-metro-iii/18206185|website=mid-day|access-date=3 May 2017|date=28 April 2017}}</ref>

===WiFi Services===

RailTel, the telecom arm of the Indian Railways, on 22 January 2016 launched free public Wi-Fi service at Mumbai Central station in collaboration with Google.

"We are delighted to launch India's first high-speed public Wi-Fi service in partnership with Indian Railways", Google South East Asia and India VP & Managing Director Rajan Anandan said.

==References==
{{reflist|refs=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/Mumbai-Central-gets-Googles-Wi-Fi-network/article14014041.ece}}

{{commons category|Mumbai Central railway station}}
{{Top 100 booking stations of Indian Railways}}
{{Mumbai - Suburban Railway, Western}}
{{Mumbai metropolitan area}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mumbai Central railway station}}
[[Category:Railway centrals in India]]
[[Category:Mumbai WR railway division]]
[[Category:Railway stations in Mumbai City district]]
[[Category:Mumbai Suburban Railway stations]]
[[Category:Railway stations opened in 1930]]
[[Category:1930 establishments in British India]]

Mumbai Central railway station - Revision history

imported>Arjayay: Reverted edits by 2409:4073:487:92BD:0:0:1E5D:70A5 (talk) to last version by DaxServer