Churchgate Railway Office Bombay, 1896 Architectural Print
A rare 1896 architectural print of the Churchgate Railway Office in colonial Bombay (Mumbai). The huge illustration was published midway through the project in The Building News on March 29, 1896. The print includes an inset detailing the ground-floor layout along with architectural references, offering an interesting insight into the building’s original design.
Construction of the Churchgate Railway Office, also known as the BB&CI Railway Office, commenced in 1894 and was completed in 1899. Today, the building is widely recognized as the Western Railway Headquarters in Mumbai, a prominent landmark of the city’s colonial-era railway heritage. The elegant structure was designed by renowned British architect F W Stevens, best known for creating the iconic Victoria Terminus (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus).
Following his celebrated work on Victoria Terminus, Stevens became one of the most sought-after architects in Bombay. During the 19th-century cotton boom, Bombay emerged as a key commercial hub, accelerating railway development in the region. This growth led to a historic event, the launch of India’s first passenger train from Bombay to Thane in 1853.
Did you know – the railway once ran farther south than it does today. Before 1930, trains continued beyond Churchgate to Colaba Station, close to the southern tip of Bombay. The section was later closed to make way for the Back Bay Reclamation Scheme.
