Mumbai Central Station Redevelopment Plan: Heritage Building To House Budget Hotel, New Passenger Plaza Proposed

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has proposed a major redevelopment of Mumbai Central station that aims to transform it into a modern multi-modal transit hub by combining heritage conservation with improved passenger amenities. The plan includes converting a portion of the station's 96-year-old heritage building into a budget hotel and redeveloping around 1,500 square metres of reclaimed land outside the station into a passenger-centric commercial plaza. Officials said the proposal is aimed at improving passenger convenience while creating additional non-fare revenue for the railway.

Metro Connectivity Boosts Station Importance

The redevelopment comes at a time when Mumbai Central has emerged as an important interchange point with seamless connectivity between Western Railway, Central Railway and Metro Line 3. A senior railway official said passengers can now travel between Mumbai Central and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in about 15 to 20 minutes through Metro Line 3, making the station one of the city's key transport hubs.

As part of the proposal, the existing retiring rooms located on the third floor of the heritage station building will be closed from July 31, while preliminary repair and restoration work is scheduled to begin on August 1. The facility comprises 11 rooms, including two dormitories. At present, only three to four rooms are operational and they witness very little occupancy, while the remaining rooms have remained locked for several months.

Private Operator To Manage Refurbished Facility

Railway sources said a private operator has been appointed to refurbish, maintain and operate the facility. The renovated accommodation is expected to reopen within three to four months as a budget hotel offering both air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned rooms for rail passengers.

"The objective is to revive underutilised heritage spaces and make them useful for passengers. The rooms will be upgraded with modern amenities without making any structural changes, as the building is a heritage structure," a senior Western Railway official said.

Old Heritage Features To Be Preserved

Each room measures around 200 sq ft and has an attached bathroom. The rooms also contain teakwood cupboards estimated to be five to seven decades old, which are expected to be retained during the restoration. Officials said Western Railway is likely to earn around ₹50 lakh over five years through the licence agreement with the private operator.

Alongside the heritage building restoration, Western Railway has reclaimed nearly 1,500 square metres of land outside Mumbai Central station after removing long-standing encroachments. According to Deputy Station Superintendent (Commercial) Harmeet Singh, the area was occupied by loader groups and illegal parking operators, while several unlawful activities were also reported there.

"It took considerable effort to clear the encroachments and free the entire 1,500 sq metre area despite several challenges. The land has now been made available for passenger-oriented development," Singh said.

According to railway officials, the reclaimed land is proposed to be developed into a passenger-friendly plaza. The proposal includes a digital business lounge, food kiosks, premium catering outlets, improved pedestrian circulation areas and landscaped public spaces. Sources also said a Rail-on-Wheels restaurant has been proposed as part of the redevelopment plan, though the final layout is yet to be announced.

Officials said the proposal is intended to improve the overall passenger experience at one of Western Railway's busiest long-distance terminals while creating better commercial infrastructure around the station.

Built in 1930, Mumbai Central is one of Western Railway's most prominent heritage stations and handles around 18 to 20 pairs of long-distance trains every day, connecting Mumbai with Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and several other northern and western states. Railway officials said further details, including room tariffs, timelines for the budget hotel and other proposed passenger facilities, will be announced as the redevelopment progresses.

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