Mumbai's CSMT Railway Station being redeveloped while preserving its heritage: Ashwini Vaishnaw

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 : Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) Railway Station is being redeveloped with a design that will preserve its heritage while providing modern facilities.
"The 132 stations that are being built are being practically redeveloped. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) is a heritage station. It has a place in UNESCO World Heritage. It is being designed in a way that would preserve the heritage and the station becomes equipped with modern facilities," Vaishnaw told ANI.
"We have prepared this design with the help of the world's best designers and locals with a good understanding. Work has begun and it is going on rapidly. There will be significant waiting areas for passengers. It is a good project," he added.
The Minister said that to create new space in the station, several old buildings had to be demolished, adding that the construction activities for the new buildings have started.
Vaishnaw also said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his ministry is taking up several initiatives to further increase the capacity of Mumbai's local train service.
"Local (trains) are an integral part of life in Mumbai. Under the guidance of PM Narendra Modi, several initiatives are being undertaken to further increase the capacity of Mumbai's local train service. 301 km of new tracks will be installed at an investment of Rs 16,240 Crores...There are 12 projects, and these will be completed in 2025, 2026 and 2027. Overall capacity will significantly increase," he said.
"Today, around 3200 trains run daily. At least 300 trains will be added to it...We are also making improvements to train technology. A new version of Kavach - Kavach 5.0 will be introduced in signalling and train control technology. With this, the minimum time gap of 180 seconds will enhanced to 150 seconds. This will result in a 15% improvement in capacity. With the increase in metro, coastal road and local capacity, transportation and commuting will be much better in the lives of Mumbaikars," he added.
Vaishnaw said that the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be built in Mumbai.
"PM Narendra Modi has given a very clear vision. Like IITs, IIMs and IIITs, there should be a concept of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology. In creative world, technology plays a major role today. You must have seen RRR and Kantara; today, on average, technology plays 40-50% in films," he said.
"So, can we harness this technology and take global leadership in this? This is the vision of PM. For the implementation of this vision, the first Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be built in Mumbai. The Maharashtra Government has allotted land for this in Goregaon. Cabinet has approved the project and right after these elections, its foundation stone will be laid and construction work will begin. This will be a good benchmark for the world," he said.