A sneak peek into CSTs future avatar ……Roana Maria Costa
Commuter comfort heads the railway administrations agenda in its much-touted project that aims to elevate the historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) into a world-class station in less than five years.
If senior railway officials, who are working closely on the nitty-gritty of project are to be believed, the terminus that sees 1.8 lakh commuters and 1,412 trains every day will be opened out to give it some muchneeded breathing space. Larger concourses as well as more circulating areas are part of the plan. This will be achieved by shifting the tracks northwards.
There is also talk of extending the width of Platform one. Track one will be eliminated and its platform will be extended to join Platform two. In other words, both Platforms 1 and 2 will be merged. CST will then have 17 platforms instead of 18. said the official. In the tentative blueprint, Platform 8, which is used for out-station trains, will be earmarked for suburban traffic.
The new plan will also help simplify track layout, which in turn, means faster trains. The headway between trains will be reduced to three minutes, and they will be able to pull in and out of the station faster, he added. Other plans include extending the long-distance platforms to accommodate 26-coach trains.
According to the planners, the makeover will augment passenger amenities and entail shifting all maintenance facilities to Wadi Bunder to clear out the area. Officials, however, were silent on the nature of the amenities, and said that the facilities will depended on what people want. Escalators will be a very small component of the bigger plan.
The project is still in a fluid stage. French consultant AREP is in the process of carrying out a detailed studyto be presented in 2010and will propose new facilities and modern structures.
Also on the cards is an attempt to de-clutter the heritage structure. Some buildings like the parcel office, which also houses the Railway Protection Force and an unnamed structure behind the Passenger Reservation building, will be demolished. Instead, an integrated building has been proposed for all official railway work.
The proposed structure will house all railway officials under one roof.
The heritage building that houses the GMs office may be converted into a heritage museum, said the official. The Division Railway Managers office will be given a brand new look. The ground floor offices will be done away with so that there is a feeling of openness. The upper floors will have transparent glass sheets, said the official.
The open land facing P DMello Road may be contracted to private developers. We will need to check the FSI and the saleability. But right now, its too early to consult a builder. The study report is coming in stages and the master plan should be ready by March 2010, said an official.
While railway authorities admit that there is a lot of ground to cover, given their fiveyear deadline, they say that the project is on the right track. I am very optimistic about it, said a senior railway official.
GRAND PLANS
GRAND PLANS
* The stations concourse will be extended by 15-20 m by extending the tracks and the platforms northwards
*Platforms 1 and 2 will be merged. Platform eight, which is used for out-station trains, will be earmarked for suburban traffic.
* The Division Railway Managers office will get a new look. According to senior officials, the upper floors will have transparent glass sheets
* All railway offices will be shifted to one building. The heritage building that houses the GMs office may be converted into a museum