The Mughalsarai Junction railway station is the largest marshalling yard in Asia. (Source: Express Photo/Anand Singh)
The Centre on Thursday approved the proposal to rename the iconic Mughalsarai railway station near Varanasi to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya (DDU) station after the Jan Sangh leader who died in 1968. The proposal was given by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet in a bid to revive Upadhyaya’s legacy. Mughalsarai is not the only railway station whose name has been changed in recent times. The iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus saw the word “Maharaj” added to its name this year.
Here is a list of some of the railway stations that have been renamed recently by the government:
1) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: The name of the famous Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai was recently changed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus this year by Central Railways. The code initials of the train stations, CSTM, remains same as earlier. The move came after a resolution was adopted unanimously by the Maharashtra Assembly to add the word “Maharaj” in the original title.
2) Elphinstone Road: The Western Railways this year rechristened Elphinstone Road Station in Mumbai to Prabhadevi. The move came days after CST was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus by Central Railways. The station was earlier named after former Governor of Bombay Presidency Lord Elphinstone. The new name was given in honour of a local deity, according to news agency PTI.
3) Bangalore city railway station: The Central government approved the notice to rename Bangalore City Railway station to “Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna” in honour of Karnataka’s 19th century revolutionary freedom fighter in 2015, news agency PTI reported. The new name was reportedly adopted last year in a ceremony which was attended by Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu. The new name was adopted after a request was made by the Karnataka government.
4) Oshiwara: The BJP government in November last year filed a notification to rename the Oshiwara railway station in Mumbai as Ram Mandir railway station, Hindustan Times reported. The station, which was set to be inaugurated in November 2016, was delayed. According to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the decision to rename the station is justified as the area around the station is known as Ram Mandir chowk because of the presence of a Ram temple in the vicinity. “The area is known as Ram Mandir chowk. The decision to name the station by Ram Mandir is thus justified,” Fadnavis was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
5) Mhow railway station: The Central government in July last year gave its approval to rename Mhow Railway station in Indore district of Madhya Pradesh after Dalit leader B R Ambedkar, who was born in the region. A letter was written to Home Minister Rajnath Singh in this regard by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot in January last year.
