The 157-year-old Byculla station will soon be restored to its former glory as the heritage structure is set to get a makeover.
The restoration will be undertaken by Abha Lambah, a well-known conservation architect; Minal Bajaj, trustee of Bajaj Group; and Shaina NC, politician and trustee of the NGO I Love Mumbai.
The restoration work, which is expected to be complete post-monsoon, will be done in two phases. Phase one will begin by next month, and will include the revamping of the ticketing windows, the roof at the entrance, and old signage. “Phase one will be completed in the next four months”, said Shaina NC. The second phase will involve the improvement of the entrance and open spaces in the station, as well as areas around the station.
“We are currently planning out the designs for the station, and will seek permission from the heritage panel. The work is expected to begin within one month,”said Lambah. “The immediate work will involve restoration of front facade at the entrance of the station and the ticketing windows. The historical events depicted on the stone walls will also be restored. The ceramic tiles in the bathrooms will be removed, as we are looking to make the station cleaner,”Lambah added. The total cost of the project has not been finalised yet, said sources. Last year, the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Review Committee had suggested a revamp of Byculla and Reay Road stations. Hindustan Times had reported in November that the Central Railway (CR) was planning to revamp the Byculla railway station.
CR officials recently found a book of pictures of the station designs of the suburban railway stations, including Byculla, Sion, Kurla and Ghatkopar, drawn up by the railway engineers in the British era. SK Jain, divisional railway manager, CR, said, “We are working with a corporate firm to restore the station to its old glory.”
The CR is also working on beautification of the track between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Byculla station. There are plans to get paintings done on the walls.