It's Prabhadevi Now, Not Elphinstone Station In Mumbai

The Western Railways on Wednesday renamed Elphinstone Road Station to Prabhadevi, on the Mumbai's suburban section. Doing away with the British era name, a notification said the new name will come to effect from the midnight of July 18. 

"Necessary changes are being made on station boards, indicators and public address systems for the benefit of passengers," read the Railways official statement.

The station code for newly renamed Prabhadevi station will be PBHD.

The name of Elphinstone Road railway station on WR suburban section is changed to Prabhadevi from today ie 19th July, 2018. The new station code is PBHD. #WRUpdates @drmbct pic.twitter.com/gtVj1Ano35

- Western Railway (@WesternRly) July 19, 2018

The renaming was first proposed by Shiv Sena leader Diwakar Raote in 1991.The Shiv Sena wanted Elphinstone Station renamed after the local deity 'Prabhadevi'. 

Earlier it was named after Lord Elphinstone, who was the Governor of erstwhile Bombay from 1853 to 1860. 

Elphinstone Road is the station where as many as 23 people were killed and over 39 injured in a rush-hour stampede at the railway station's foot over bridge on September 29 last year.

Welcome Prabhadevi but you will always be Elphinstone Road for me.

— Tushar (@TusharG) July 18, 2018

The renaming of Elphinstone Station hasn't gone down well with several commuters. Many Mumbaikars questioned, could the money spent on renaming stations be used for repairing potholes. The deadly potholes on the city's roads have killed as many as five people so far in this monsoon season. 

Did bridges stop falling because we renamed Elphinstone Road station as Prabhadevi ! #justasking #mumbaiquirks The money spent on renaming could have filled a few potholes

— Ravi Subramanian (@subramanianravi) July 19, 2018

Some commuters went down the nostalgia road and posted 'now and then' pictures of the station, while others said the government should check the condition of old overhead footbridges instead of focusing on renaming stations.