An exhibition was opened on Tuesday at Bandra station where rare artefacts, informative panels, running train models, photographs etc. were on display. This was part of the Railway Board's directive to carry out the Heritage Week in February. The station building at Bandra is a blend of Victorian Gothic and vernacular style with its bilaterally symmetrical front façade.
Panels depicting the heritage architectural structure of various railway buildings, olden days' station buildings, steam-run locomotives of yesteryears, heritage bridges, sneak-peak into rare photographs of the past are displayed. It also has a suburban timetable of 1948 which consisted of separate sections for the timings of trains running between Churchgate- Virar, Bandra & Victoria Terminus (now CSMT).
A padlock of 6 levers used for locking the main gates of welding shop at Dahod workshop, Tilley floodlight projector which is a kerosene based lamp used to provide illumination during steam crane operations undertaken at night time (which have been replaced by halogen lamps) were procured from various workshops and have found a place in the exhibition.
Bandra station, which has been in existence since 1888, is being renovated at a slow pace. Four years after Western Railway (WR) first decided to renovate the station, an MoU was signed between the railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to revamp the circulating area at the station. This came at a time when the WR authorities started a heritage walk and opened an exhibition of artefacts.
Senior WR officials said that the consultancy work for revamping the station is being finalised. "Rs 7 crore has been sanctioned for the revamp. We also signed an MoU with the BMC for developing circulating area," said Ravinder Bhakar, Chief PRO of WR. The tenders will also be called for the same work soon. A few months ago, WR demolished the staff quarters which were right opposite the station. As part of the plans, they will restore the damaged or missing structures on the building. It will also involve designing the surrounding areas.
