Page 68 - HUDCO DESIGN AWARDS 2022-23

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R RESTORATION OF BYCULLA RAILWAY STATION
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Byculla railway station, inaugurated in April 1853, falls on the Bombay -Thana railway line under the Great Indian
Peninsula railway. The original station was a wooden structure constructed in 1857, which was later moved further
north to its current location and a stone building was constructed between 1887 to 1891, making it one of the
oldest stations in India. Tucked in within a heavily industrial region of Byculla, the station is designed in the Victorian
Gothic style of Architecture and has a more local design contextually as compared to its ornate counterparts. The
building is a designated Grade II-A heritage structure, under the Heritage Regulations of Greater Mumbai, 1995.
Over the years the 135-year-old structure had faced deterioration with age, making the building fabric vulnerable to
leakages, structural deterioration, peeling plaster, wood deterioration and neglect with little or no maintenance. Yet,
the building continues to function as one of the busiest railway stations on the Central Railway route receiving a high
footfall count every day.
In 2019 the non-government organization ‘I LOVE MUMBAI’ spearheaded by Ms. Shaina NC and conservation
architect Abha Narain Lambah decided to volunteer towards saving the historic Byculla Railway Station that caters to
a large section of the inner city population of Mumbai. They decided to develop a citizen funded approach for
restoring Byculla railway station and approached Mrs. Minal Bajaj, of the Indian corporate house the Bajaj Group to
join them in this initiative to restore India’s oldest railway station. Through a citizen driven conservation project
initiated by three women from the city – they approached the Central Railways to sign an MOU whereby the railways
would allow them to conserve their historic station building. The project was envisioned to be a prototype for
restoring and upgrading historic station buildings across the country through community support.

Exterior Façade- Before Restoration Exterior Façade- After Restoration

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R RESTORATION OF BYCULLA RAILWAY STATION, BYCULLA, MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA
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