In March 1996, the station's name was officially changed from "Victoria Terminus" to "Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus" (with station code CST) after Shivaji, the 17th-century warrior king and the first Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire who founded the state in the western Marathi-speaking regions of the Deccan Plateau.

It is one of the busiest railway stations in India,[14] serving as a terminal for both long-distance and suburban trains with a total number of 18 platforms.

This famous landmark which has become a symbol of the city, was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway.

The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a British engineer architect, attached to the Bombay office of the Indian colonial Public Works Department.

[1] Stevens earned the commission to construct the station after a masterpiece watercolour sketch by draughtsman Axel Haig.

[1] The design has been compared to George Gilbert Scott's 1873 St Pancras railway station in London, also in an exuberant Italian Gothic style, but it is far closer to[1][15] Scott's second prize winning entry for Berlin's parliament building, exhibited in London in 1875, which featured numerous towers and turrets, and a large central ribbed dome.

During its construction, a marble statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the main façade of the building, in a canopy under the clock.

In December 2016, the Fadnavis Ministry passed a resolution to change the name to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in the Maharashtra Assembly and in May 2017, the home ministry officially sent a letter to the state government denoting the name change, following which the station was yet again renamed as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

[21][22] On 26 November 2008, two Pakistani terrorists entered the passenger hall of the CST, opened fire and threw grenades at people.

The attacks began around 21:30 when the two men entered the passenger hall and opened fire,[23][24] The attackers killed 58 people and injured 104 others,[24] their assault ending at about 22:45 after they exited the station via the North FOB towards the west to Cama hospital back entrance.

The skyline, turrets, pointed arches, and eccentric ground plan are close to classical Indian palace architecture.

The centrally domed office structure has a 330-foot-long platform connected to a 1,200-foot-long train shed, and its outline provides the skeleton plan for the building.

The main structure is built from a blend of India sandstone and limestone, while high-quality Italian marble was used for the key decorative elements.

The main interiors are also decorated: the ground floor of the North Wing, known as the Star Chamber, which is still used as the booking office, is embellished with Italian marble and polished Indian blue stone.