The central dome bears a thirteen feet solid statue of a woman ( 'Progress')
with a flaming torch in her right arm raised towards the sky and a spoked
wheel low in her left hand, by Thomas Earp, an architectural carver who
also carved the Imperial lion and the Indian tiger on the gate piers in
the front. Beneath this dome are the stairs to each floor. A life-size
statue of Queen Victoria is placed in front of the central facade. The
other statues include one representing 'Agriculture' on the central gable
(triangular upper part of a wall at the end of a ridged roof) on the south
side and on each of the two gables in the wings of the west facade representing
'Engineering & Science' and 'Shipping & Commerce'. A large clock
of diameter 3.19 meters on the tower of the terminus is another attractive
feature. There are bas relief's of the 10 directors of the Great Indian
Peninsular Railway Company on the facade. Ornamented panels displaying
peacocks, monkeys, elephants and British lions are mixed up among the
buttresses, domes, turrets, spires and stained glass windows that are
rich in primary colours. There are four gateways to the main entrance
and the rectangular yard in front, maintains an ornamental garden on one
side.
The wood carving, tiles, ornamental iron and brass railings,
grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases
and other ornaments etc were the work of students at the Bombay School
of Art. The cantilevered staircase that leads to the dome, the large
spacious booking hall with its pointed arcades, glazed tiles, stained
glass and wooden vaulted ceilings inspired by London's St. Pancras station,
the Star Chamber (the ticketing office for the local service) are fine
examples of art and engineering.
The increased traffic and pollution have damaged this
historic building's former glory, but the Central Railway has earmarked
a substantial amount for its restoration and conservation process. Some
additions and changes were made to the building as part of the expansion
and reorganisation of the Indian Railways in the 1960s and 1970s by the
Central Railways, mainly to accommodate an increasing staff strength.
But in 1980, as part of the conservation process the number of staff occupying
the building has been reduced.
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Monuments 
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