Mumbai Railway Stations Set for Name Change: Shiv Sena’s Proposal Gets Maharashtra Government’s Approval

Mumbai, 13th March 2024: The Maharashtra Government, led by Eknath Shinde, has approved the proposal put forth by Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale to change the names of eight local railway stations in Mumbai, which currently bear British-era names. Shewale’s proposal, encompassing stations such as Curry Road, Sandhurst Road, Cotton Green, Dockyard Road, and Kings Circle on the Central Railway network, is set to be forwarded to the Centre for consideration.

Contrarily, city historian Bharat Gothoskar argued that not all names have colonial origins, highlighting that one station’s name is rooted in the Marathi term for ‘grazing land.’ The list of proposed name changes includes Lalbaug, Dongari, Kalachowki, Mazgaon, and Tirthkar Parshwanath for stations like Curry Road, Sandhurst Road, and Kings Circle. Additionally, Marine Lines, Charni Road, and Mumbai Central on the Western Railway network are suggested to be renamed as Mumbadevi, Girgaon, and Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth stations.

Shiv Sena MP Shewale cited public demand for the change, emphasizing the need to shed British-era names. In contrast, Bharat Gothoskar, founder of the Khaki Heritage Foundation, argued against altering names with historical significance. He pointed out that certain stations, like Charni Road and Marine Lines, lack colonial connections. For instance, Charni Road is named after a Marathi term for grazing ground, and Marine Lines is associated with barracks near Dhobi Talao.

The Maharashtra government has already submitted a proposal to rename Mumbai Central Station to Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth Station. In the past, the Union government renamed Elphinstone Road to Prabhadevi station and modified Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in 2017.