Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a super special train station in Mumbai, India. It looks like a giant, old castle with lots of towers and beautiful decorations! It’s so amazing that it’s called a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means it’s important for everyone in the world to see.

This station is where many trains start and end their journeys, bringing people to and from the city. It’s a very busy place, buzzing with people and trains all day long!

This amazing station wasn't always here. It started being built a very, very long time ago, in 1878! A clever builder named Frederick William Stevens designed it.

It took many years to finish, and it was finally ready in 1887. That was the same year a big celebration happened for Queen Victoria’s 50th year as queen. The station was built in a style called Italian Gothic, which means it has pointy arches and fancy carvings, just like old castles in Europe!

This station is super important because it’s the main office for a big train company called Central Railway. It’s also one of the busiest train stations in all of India! Think of it like the busiest school hallway, but with trains instead of kids.

It has 18 platforms, which are like long waiting areas for trains. Lots and lots of people use this station every single day to travel far away or just to get around the city.

The station has had a few names! It used to be called Victoria Terminus, named after Queen Victoria. But in 1996, they changed its name to honor a brave warrior king from long ago named Shivaji.

He was a very important leader in India’s history. Later, they added 'Maharaj' to his name, which means 'great king'. So now it’s called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus!

People often call it CST for short.