The Maharashtra government plans to replace the colonial-era names of eight railway stations in Mumbai. More information on this initiative can be found here.

The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has made a decision to alter the British-era names of eight local railway stations in Mumbai, according to claims by Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale. Shewale asserts that the Maharashtra government has greenlit his proposal to change the names of these stations, which will subsequently be forwarded to the Centre for approval. The stations marked for renaming include Curry Road, Sandhurst Road, Cotton Green, Dockyard Road, and Kings Circle on the Central Railway network, with proposed new names like Lalbaug, Dongari, Kalachowki, Mazgaon, and Tirthkar Parshwanath respectively. Additionally, Marine Lines, Charni Road, and Mumbai Central stations on the Western Railway network are slated for renaming to Mumbadevi, Girgaon, and Nana Jagannath Shankarsheth stations.

The rationale behind these changes is stated to be a response to public demand for shedding colonial-era nomenclature. However, Bharat Gothoskar, founder of the Khaki Heritage Foundation, holds a different view, suggesting that altering names of historical significance may not be advisable. He highlights that some station names like Charni Road and Marine Lines lack direct colonial connections, with Charni Road deriving its name from a Marathi term for a cattle grazing ground and Marine Lines being named after nearby barracks. Notably, stations bearing names of British governors such as Grand Road and Reay Road have been left unchanged.

This move echoes past renaming endeavors in Mumbai, including the transformation of Elphinstone Road station to Prabhadevi station in 2017, honoring the nearby Prabhadevi temple, and the modification of Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, adding the honorific 'Maharaj' to commemorate the legendary ruler. Initially known as Victoria Terminus, the station's name was altered to reflect Indian cultural heritage.