Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CST)

CST (formerly Victoria Terminus) is the most extravagant railway station in the world — a UNESCO World Heritage Victorian Gothic Revival building completed in 1888 that handles 3 million commuters daily and is simultaneously a functioning transport hub and a monument to the confidence of the British Raj at its peak. The building, designed by Frederick William Stevens, combines Gothic arches, stained glass, decorative tiles, and a profusion of carved stone animals and figures with Indian architectural elements in a style that is aggressively, joyfully excessive.

The terminus took 10 years to build and cost £260,000 (a fortune in 1888), and the interior — with its ribbed ceilings, carved columns, and the grand staircase that divides the booking hall — is as ornate as the exterior. The stone figure of 'Progress' atop the central dome holds a torch that illuminates the building at night.