A view of the 125 year old heritage building in Mumbai's Churchgate.
Credit: Western Railway, Mumbai
Mumbai: The Western Railway headquarters building at Churchgate in Mumbai is completing 125 years of its construction in January 2024 - and to commemorate the occasion, a month-long celebrations have been planned.
This magnificent structure was earlier the headquarters office of Bombay Baroda & Central India Railways (BB&CI), which was the forerunner of Western Railway.
To mark this historic occasion, the Western Railway has planned a month-long celebration in January 2024 which will include various events such as exhibitions, heritage walks, release of coffee table book, and cultural programmes.
The work of construction of the headquarters building at Churchgate was started in the year 1894 and was completed in January 1899.
Since then, this magnificent building has borne witness to various developments, standing tall to the test of time. It served as the Headquarters of the erstwhile BB&CI Railway and thereafter as the HQ of Western Railway, since the formation of WR in 1951 after Independence.
WR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Sumit Thakur said that the Headquarters building has been restored with great emphasis to retain its old heritage charm and beauty.
“The precincts and surroundings have been beautifully enhanced, with landscaping and soothing illumination. The Heritage Gallery has been also renovated aesthetically which will add nostalgia and transport the viewers to the yesteryears,” he said.
Various events have been planned to make this occasion a grand success.
An Exhibition will be held at the HQ Lawns from 7-9 January, 2024 highlighting the rich past of this grand building and history of WR. This exhibition will be open for the general public wherein they can witness the architectural beauty of this marvelous building and can also purchase souvenirs to cherish this historic occasion.