Reay Road – Heritage Railway Station on Mumbai Harbour Line

MUMBAI MEMORIES

REAY ROAD

The Cutest Heritage Railway Station in Mumbai
by
VIKRAM KARVE  

 

Long back – maybe 15 years ago – on my way to the Lal Bahadur Shastri Nautical College (LBS CAMSAR) at Hay Bunder in Mumbai – I decided to go by train – so – I caught a harbour branch local train at CST Mumbai. 

 

After stopping at the Masjid, Sandhurst Road and Dockyard Road Railway Stations – the local train stopped at Reay Road – where I got down (or – "alighted from the train onto the platform" – as they say in Railway parlance).

Walking towards the exit of Reay Road Railway Station – I was spellbound by the exquisite beauty of the ancient station building, which stood like a sentinel above the railway lines which passed through beneath it. 

The most eye catching feature which adorned the building was the elegant clock in the centre which looked down like a beautiful vigilant eye – as if keeping an eagle eye from its towering position on the trains coming and going, rushing below, and the goings on and hustle bustle on the platforms . 

 

Many Mariners – in their younger days – would probably have passed through these magnificent portals of Reay Road Station without even giving it a second look. 

 

Reay Road is the cutest and most petite railway station I have ever seen.

Let me tell you a bit more about its heritage.

 

Did you know that Reay Road Railway Station – a prime landmark of Mumbai – is a 19th Century Heritage Grade I structure...? 

 

Surely you know CST (VT/Bori Bunder) and Churchgate are famous and celebrated Heritage Buildings. 

But – Dear Reader – did you even imagine in your wildest thoughts that Reay Road was an equally prestigious Heritage Structure embodying excellence in architectural style, design, building technology and material usage...?

Reay Road Railway Station, on the harbour branch railway line of the Central Railway, rises to the top of a road bridge whose span bestrides and overlaps the railway track underneath. The railway tracks tunnel through an arch on the southern side. 

 

The station superstructure, constructed of stone, atop the arch, has in its center a majestic clock overlooking the platforms and tracks as if keeping a benevolent and watchful eye on the goings on below. 

 

It is an elegant and unique example in compressed space utilization, a masterpiece – a true work of art. 

 

I have not seen a railway station like Reay Road anywhere else.

I think Reay Road is the only Heritage Railway Station on Mumbai's Harbour Line. 

 

The other heritage railway stations on Mumbai's suburban railway include Byculla on the Central Railway and Bandra on the Western Railway.

 

The next time you are in Mumbai – please catch a harbour branch local train and get down at Reay Road. 

Stand aside and let the commuters rush away – and then – look towards the southern side – and marvel at the adorable and captivating heritage masterpiece. 

 

Is Reay Road Railway Station still the same way as I described it...? 

Or – has it changed...? 

VIKRAM KARVE

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Disclaimer:

1. This story is a fictional spoof, pure fiction, just for fun and humor, no offence is meant to anyone, so take it with a pinch of salt and have a laugh.

2. This story is a work of fiction. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

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Link to my source post in my Blog Academic and Creative Writing Journal Vikram Karve: http://karvediat.blogspot.com/2011/02/heritage-mumbai-reay-road-railway.html

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

STATE BANK OF INDIA

STATE BANK OF INDIA

If you want to observe sheer incompetence and insensitive customer service please go to The State Bank of India (SBI) especially the Tilak Road Branch of SBI in Pune. If you thought Information Technology (IT) improves efficiency, think again, because at SBI things have gone from bad to worse with the introduction of IT and the much hyped Core Banking. In fact, Core Banking has given an excuse to employees at the branch to say that now nothing is in their hands and to abdicate themselves of all responsibility and pass on the blame to the SBI headquarters.

Every time I raise a grievance at my home branch I am told to enter an online complaint on the State Bank of India website on the internet. I duly forward the complaint online and promptly receive an acknowledgement. After that a number of emails follow but nothing happens. Then, after a few days I am told to contact the home branch for redressal of my grievance. When I go to my home branch I am again told that they can do nothing about it as everything is controlled by SBI Headquarters and again I am told to raise an online complaint on the internet. I must say this is a most insensitive customer service style – to put the aggrieved customer into a spin, into circles, until he gets exasperated and gives up. I am sorry to say but the State Bank of India treats its customers like dirt.

Let me give you a recent example.

An year ago I got a letter asking me to submit some documents like PAN Card, Address Proof, Photo etc towards Know Your Customer (KYC) norms. Though I had submitted these documents before, I once again promptly submitted all these documents at the Tilak Road Branch of State Bank of India and it was confirmed to me that my KYC details had been updated against my customer-id in the Core Banking System for all my accounts. I again submitted all KYC documents when I opened a pension account in the same customer-id. I personally checked on the monitor of the SBI employee and saw for myself that all my KYC details including photo, PAN and address were updated and linked to all my accounts.

Despite this I keep receiving letters from State Bank Of India Tilak Road Branch Pune asking to personally come to the branch and submit the KYC documents. I visit the branch and tell the concerned employee that I have repeatedly submitted all relevant details (PAN Card, Address Proof, Photos etc) for KYC norms to State Bank of India Tilak Road Branch Pune and my KYC details are held in the records of State Bank of India.  The State Bank of India counter staff personally checks on his monitor and confirms to me that my KYC norms are updated in State Bank of India Records and there is no need to submit the documents again. However I receive another letter (this time in Marathi language) asking me to come to the branch and submit KYC Norms documents. As expected, the Staff at Tilak Road Pune Branch express their helplessness and blame it on SBI Headquarters and Core Banking and ask me to raise a complaint on the internet which I promptly do.

And guess what?

I get an email from State Bank of India Local Head Office Mumbai asking me to contact the home branch State Bank of India Tilak Road Pune. Life has moved a full circle. Can someone tell me what to do.

I think it is high time State Bank of India revamps its Core Banking System, improves its Grievance Redressal Mechanism and focuses on training its employees to be more efficient, competent and give better Customer Service.