Parth Bharadwaj at 18:12, 15 July 2023

2023-07-15T18:12:01Z

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{{Short description|Defunct railway station in Maharashtra, India}}
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{{Infobox Station
| name = Bombay Backbay Station
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| owned = [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway]]
| line = [[Western Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)|Western Line]]
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| structure = Standard on-ground station
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| opened = 1866
| closed = 1869/70 (likely)
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| services = No service demolished
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}}

'''Bombay Backbay station''' was a railway station of the erstwhile [[Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway|BB&CI Railway]](today's Western Railway), located in [[Back Bay (Mumbai)|Bombay Backbay]] in Mumbai. It was notably the starting point of the first regular local train service of the BB&CI Railway, that started on 12th April 1867, between the Station and Viraur (today, [[Virar railway station|Virar]]).<ref>https://wr.indianrailways.gov.in/cris/uploads/files/1392817679390-article1.pdf</ref>

In the 1860s, after the BB&CIR line entered Bombay from Gujarat, [[Grant Road railway station|Grant Rd]] became the first terminus of the line. A service started on 28th November 1864 between Grant Rd and Ahmadabad. The next major milestone would be the beginning of a local service between Grant Rd, and Bassein Road (now, [[Vasai Road railway station|Vasai Rd]]) on 1 November 1865. There were reportedly two, 2 coached trains, running between Bassein Rd and Grant Rd.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Western Railways completes 150 years |url=http://www.twenty22.in/2014/11/western-railways-completes-150-years.html |access-date=2023-07-15}}</ref>

At about the same time, the Bombay Backbay Reclamation Scheme was under progress to 'reclaim the Backbay'. This was a necessary step, partly as a requirement to extend the line from Grant Rd southward, along the proposed extension route. A station finally opened in 1866, named the Bombay Backbay Station. Soon after, three suburban trains started with this station. The station primarily functioned as a place to run ballast trains from, that carried the materials for the land reclamation.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Aklekar |first=Rajendra B. |title=Halt Station India : The Dramatic Tale of the Nation's First Rail Lines |publisher=Rupa Publications |isbn=978-81-291-3497-4 |pages=179 |language=English}}</ref>

On 12 April 1867, a regular suburban service finally started, consisting of a four coached in each direction. The train had First, Second, and Third class compartments, with an exclusive coach for women in the second class, and a separate smoking room.<ref>{{Cite web |last=admin |title=12th April 1867 – First Local Train Service of Western Railway {{!}} MeMumbai |url=https://memumbai.com/first-local-train-service/ |access-date=2023-07-15 |language=en-US}}</ref> The stations on this route were- Backbay, [[Grant Road railway station|Grant Rd]], [[Dadar railway station|Dadur]], [[Mahim Junction railway station|Mahim]], [[Bandra railway station|Bandora]] (now, Bandra), [[Santacruz railway station|Santacruz]], [[Andheri railway station|Andaru]] (now, Andheri), [[Goregaon railway station|Pahadee]] (now, Goregaon), [[Borivali railway station|Berewla]] (now, Borivali), [[Panju railway station|Panjoo]] (Near or at Panju Island), [[Vasai Road railway station|Bassein Rd]] (now, Vasai Rd), [[Nallasopara railway station|Nial]] (now, Nallasopara) and [[Virar railway station|Viraur]] (now, Virar).

The terminus was later shifted further south by about 1870, to a place along the road to the erstwhile Church gate of the Fort in Bombay. It was named the [[Churchgate railway station|Churchgate station]].

The station, was demolished, but the location of it was probably somewhere between today's Churchgate station and [[Marine Lines railway station|Marine Lines]].

== References ==

<references />

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[[Category:Defunct railway stations in Mumbai]]

{{Maharashtra-railstation-stub}}

Bombay Backbay railway station - Revision history

Parth Bharadwaj at 18:12, 15 July 2023