Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus platforms 16–17 closure: 85-day shutdown

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus platforms 16–17 closure means train operations from those two platforms will remain suspended for 85 days, from February 1 through April 26, Central Railway said on Friday.

As reported by The Economic Times (Infra), the pause is tied to redevelopment-related traffic and power blocks, and the platforms will return to service only after the works are completed.

Why platforms 16 and 17 are shut?

In its update, Central Railway said the traffic and power blocks are required to carry out foundational and allied works on the two platforms. This phase sits within the wider Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus redevelopment being carried out by the Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA), and the platforms are to be handed back for traffic operations once the job is finished.

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Train changes: short-terminated services at Dadar and Thane

With platforms 16 and 17 unavailable, several long-distance services that would normally terminate at CSMT will be short-terminated until further notice. The trains listed for short-termination at Dadar are the Amravati–CSMT Express (12112), Ballarshah–CSMT Nandigram Express (11002), Howrah–CSMT Express (12810), Bhubaneswar–CSMT Konark Express (11020), Bidar–CSMT Express (22144) / Latur–CSMT Express (22108), and the Madgaon–CSMT Tejas Express (22120). The Mangaluru–CSMT Express (12134) will be short-terminated at Thane.

Railway officials said the blocks are necessary for infrastructure development and advised passengers to plan their journeys accordingly during the period of restricted operations.

Project scope, cost and passenger amenities

The redevelopment is being executed by Ahluwalia Contracts Limited under a plan approved by Central Railway on December 19, 2022, and the total cost is Rs 2,450 crore.

The overall Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus redevelopment covers 461,534 square metres. Of that, 279,507 square metres are earmarked for new construction, 130,912 square metres for renovation, 37,703 square metres for open area adjacent to the terminus, and another 13,412 square metres for various constructions.

On passenger amenities, the project includes dedicated buildings for passenger facilities and parcel services, decks connecting mail/express and local trains, along with footbridges and skywalks. Open spaces near the main heritage building are reserved exclusively for passengers to support crowd management, and a perimeter wall is also being constructed to prevent unauthorised entry.

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