Kolhapur Railway Station Name: Official Name, Code KOP and Why Sources Spell It Differently (2026)

Summarize this blog post with: ChatGPT | Perplexity | Claude | Grok

Ask ten people for the Kolhapur railway station name and you may get several answers: Kolhapur Junction, Kolhapur Terminus, Shahu Maharaj Terminus, SCSMT or simply KOP. They all point to the same place, but the spellings differ and so do some of the dates you will read. This guide sets out what the sources we read say about the name, the code, the history and the trains, and shows where they disagree.

We did not visit the station for this article. We read an official Indian Railways station list, Wikipedia, eRail, a Times of India report from 2017 and the Maharashtra gazetteer on 25 October 2026. Where a source is undated or unofficial, we say so.

Key Takeaways

• Wikipedia gives the official name as Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur, with the station code KOP.
• The Indian Railways station list we read shows KOP in the Pune division of Central Railway, in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, with category A.
• Sources spell the name in different ways. eRail prints “Chatrapathi Sahumaharaj Terminus KOLHAPUR”, and ticketing sites often use the short form SCSMT.
• The station’s opening is dated differently. Wikipedia’s infobox says 1886. A 2017 Times of India report and the Maharashtra gazetteer point to April 1891 for the first train on the Miraj line.
• The Times of India report says the foundation was laid on 1 May 1888 and that the station is named after Chhatrapati Shahu.
• For tickets and searches, use the code KOP. It is the same code in the official list and on eRail.
• Names and train lists change, so confirm against the railway’s own booking channels before you travel.

What Is the Kolhapur Railway Station Name?

The short answer to the Kolhapur railway station name question is Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur. Wikipedia’s article says “officially Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur” and gives the station code as KOP. It says the station is named after Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur.

In daily speech, people say Kolhapur railway station, Kolhapur station or Kolhapur terminus. The word terminus matters. Wikipedia describes it as the end point of the Miraj to Kolhapur railway line, so trains arrive here and do not continue onward on the same line.

Why Do You See So Many Spellings?

Different sites transliterate the same Marathi name in different ways, and some shorten it to fit a screen. Here is what we saw.

Source (read 25 October 2026)	How it writes the name
Wikipedia	Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus, officially Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur
eRail	Chatrapathi Sahumaharaj Terminus KOLHAPUR (KOP)
Train list on Wikipedia	SCSMT Kolhapur
Times of India, 20 April 2017	Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj terminus

None of these is a different station. If you are searching a booking site, type KOP or Kolhapur, and do not rely on the full spelling.

Which Spelling of the Kolhapur Railway Station Name Should You Use?

For the Kolhapur railway station name, use “Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus” in writing, since that is the form Wikipedia gives and it matches the person it honours. We did not find a railway notification that sets the exact spelling, so we cannot say which version is official in every document. For a ticket, the station code is the safe choice.

What Is the Kolhapur Railway Station Code?

The Kolhapur railway station code is KOP. The Indian Railways station name list shows KOP with category A, “NSG3”, Pune division, Central Railway, Kolhapur, Maharashtra. We did not decode the column abbreviations, so we only repeat what the list prints. eRail also gives KOP, and adds a numeric code, the zone and division, the broad gauge and a pin code of 416001.

What Other Stations Are Near Kolhapur?

The same official list shows other stations in Kolhapur district under the Pune division, including Hatkanangale (HTK), Jayasingpur (JSP), Valivade (VV) and Rukadi (RKD). Those are different stations and different codes. If a booking site offers you one of them, check the name before you pay.

What Is the History of the Kolhapur Railway Station?

The Kolhapur railway station history depends on which source you read.

The dates below may describe different events (a first opening, a foundation, a first train), so read each one with its source.

Source	What it says
Wikipedia infobox	Opened 1886
Times of India, 20 April 2017	Foundation laid by Chhatrapati Shahu on 1 May 1888; first train between Kolhapur and Miraj on 20 April 1891
Maharashtra gazetteer, railways chapter	The meter gauge line between Miraj and Kolhapur was opened for traffic on 21 April 1891

The two 1891 sources differ by one day (20 and 21 April), and Wikipedia gives a different year. We do not settle that. A possible reading is that “opened” refers to different things, such as a construction start, a station building or the first train, but we have no source that says so. For a school project or a published piece, quote the source and its date.

What Does the Gazetteer Add?

The gazetteer says the line, about 30 miles long, belonged to the Kolhapur Durbar but was managed by the ex-Southern Mahratta Railway, and that it changed hands when the princely state merged. We read only the opening paragraph of that chapter, so we do not attempt a fuller history here.

What Does the Times of India Add?

The 2017 report says a member of a Pune divisional railway users committee said that Chhatrapati Shahu laid the foundation on 1 May 1888, that the new station was then only three years old and that the king spent Rs 3.28 lakh on the track and station.

It also says the Kolhapur to Miraj track was converted to broad gauge in 1971 and that the first Kolhapur to Mumbai Mahalaxmi Express started on 11 May 1971. Those are statements by a named committee member in a news report, and we have not checked them against railway records.

Why Is It Called Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur?

Wikipedia says the station is named after Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur. The Times of India report credits Chhatrapati Shahu with laying the foundation and paying for the track and the station, according to the committee member it quotes. That is the reason people give for the name. We found no official document on when the station took its present name, so we do not state a renaming date.

Is the Present Station Building Old?

The same 2017 report quotes a demand that the present building, described as 100 years old at that time, be preserved and a new one be built. That is an opinion at the time of a celebration, not a heritage ruling. We did not find a heritage listing for the building.

How Many Platforms Does Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur Have?

Wikipedia’s infobox says three platforms, with construction of a fourth and fifth platform going on. The 2017 report says activists demanded that the number rise to six. These statements come from different times and neither is dated for today’s use. Do not plan around a platform number. Check the display boards on arrival.

What Do News Reports Say About Work at the Station?

Three Times of India reports give dated snapshots of building work at the station. None of them is a current status, and we found no official update from 2026.

• December 2022: a report on a traffic block said the block was announced to build a new platform and extend the two existing platforms. The station manager was quoted as saying the new platform would open soon, and that about 15 trains used the terminus daily at that time, five of them express trains. That is one reason a platform count from before or after that work can differ.
• October 2023: a report on the start of redevelopment said work began under the Amrit Bharat station scheme, with Rs 42.03 crore released and a six-month deadline. It listed a larger entrance, a new booking counter, parking, a waiting room, cover sheds on all platforms, toilets, an escalator and a lift among the planned items.
• November 2025: a report on a divisional railway manager’s visit quoted him saying the Amrit Bharat works at the terminus would be put on track immediately. The paper wrote that the pace of work had slowed over the previous four months.

A six-month deadline in 2023 and a slowdown reported in 2025 show why a plan on paper is not the same as a finished facility. For a visit, treat the building work as possibly ongoing, and look for signs and station staff on arrival. These facts describe the station, not a particular train or route.

Is There a New Station Planned?

Wikipedia says a rail route announcement in 2016-17 described a new Kolhapur station at Kasaba Bawada, because the original station is in the busiest part of the city. It adds that the station is being upgraded. We did not find a current official update, so we cannot say what has been built. Treat that as a plan that the article reports, not as a fact on the ground.

Which Trains Serve KOP Railway Station?

The KOP railway station is the end of the line for these services.

Wikipedia lists these express and mail services, without a date. Use the list to know the names, and confirm the timetable on the railway’s booking channels.

Train (as listed on Wikipedia)	Note
Ahmedabad to SCSMT Kolhapur Express	Listed
SCSMT Kolhapur to Dhanbad weekly express	Listed as weekly
SCSMT Kolhapur to Hazrat Nizamuddin superfast express	Listed
Gondia to SCSMT Kolhapur Maharashtra Express	Listed
Kalaburagi to SCSMT Kolhapur Express	Listed
Mumbai CSMT to SCSMT Kolhapur Koyna Express	Listed
Mumbai CSMT to SCSMT Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express	Listed
Tirupati to SCSMT Kolhapur Haripriya Express	Listed
Nagpur to SCSMT Kolhapur Express	Listed
Pune to SCSMT Kolhapur Vande Bharat Express	Listed
SCSMT Kolhapur to Pune DEMU	Listed as a local service

For a particular route, use the railway’s booking channels to check the day’s timetable.

How Does the Station Appear on IRCTC Search?

We tried IRCTC’s train search on 26 October 2026 (about 4:09 AM IST) to see how the station is named there. Typing “KOLHAPUR” in the To field did not list Kolhapur at the top. The suggestions we saw were other stations, such as Kalianpur, Kharagpur and Brahmapur. Typing the code “KOP” listed “S C SHAHU MAH T – KOP, Maharashtra” first. After we chose it, the results page showed the station as “S C SHAHU MAH T”.

So on IRCTC, the code works better than the city name, and the station name is shortened. If you search by “Kolhapur” and do not see it, try “KOP”. Check that the suggestion says Maharashtra, because several other stations have similar-looking names. This is how the site behaved on one day, not a rule that the railway publishes. For route timetables, use the railway booking channels.

Why Does the Name Appear as SCSMT on Train Names?

SCSMT looks like an abbreviation for Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus. Train names on the Wikipedia list use it, and that is probably the reason. We did not find a railway document that defines SCSMT, so we call it a likely abbreviation, not an official one.

What Should You Do When You Book a Ticket?

1. Search by code KOP. It avoids spelling problems.
2. Check the full station name on the result. It should read Kolhapur and show KOP.
3. Look at the boarding station on the ticket. Some trains also stop at other stations in the district.
4. Check the timetable on the railway’s own booking channel.
5. Keep a note of the platform on arrival, since platform numbers can change.

What Is Near the Station?

The station is in the city centre, in the busiest part according to the Wikipedia text about the new station plan. For where to stay, our guide to hotels in Kolhapur covers places near the railway station and the bus stand, and our Kolhapur tourist places guide helps plan the day.

How Do You Get From the Station to the Main Temple?

We have not measured the route, so we do not give a time or fare. Use a live maps app and ask local drivers about the usual fare before you start. Our Ambabai temple guide covers the temple itself.

What Mistakes Should You Avoid?

• Do not assume one opening year. Wikipedia gives 1886, and other sources give April 1891 for the first train, which may be a different event.
• Do not assume a Vande Bharat or other train runs on a given day. Check a live timetable.
• Do not treat an undated platform count as current.
• Do not confuse KOP with other stations in the district.
• Do not use an unofficial Kolhapur railway station name spelling in a legal or official document without checking the form on the ticket or notice.

What Practical Tools Help You Check the Kolhapur Railway Station Name and Details?

• The railway’s own booking and enquiry channels for timetables and seat status.
• The official station list for codes.
• A live maps app for the route to and from the station.
• Local news for station works and notices.
• A notes list of the train number, the code KOP and the date.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Kolhapur Railway Station Name

What is the Kolhapur railway station name?

Wikipedia gives it as Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur. Many people simply say Kolhapur railway station.

What is the Kolhapur railway station code?

KOP, according to the official Indian Railways list and eRail.

Why is it called SCSMT?

SCSMT looks like an abbreviation of the full name. We found no official definition.

Who is the station named after?

Wikipedia says Shahu Maharaj of Kolhapur. A 2017 Times of India report says Chhatrapati Shahu laid its foundation.

When did the station open?

Sources give different dates, which may describe different events. Wikipedia says 1886, and the Times of India and the gazetteer point to April 1891 for the first train.

Which railway zone and division is it in?

Central Railway, Pune division, per the official list.

How many platforms are there?

Wikipedia says three, with a fourth and fifth under construction. Check on arrival.

Is Kolhapur a terminus or a junction?

Wikipedia calls it a terminus and the end of the Miraj to Kolhapur line.

What is the pin code?

eRail lists 416001.

Conclusion

The Kolhapur railway station name is Shri Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Terminus Kolhapur, and its code is KOP. The sources agree on that. Their spellings, dates and platform counts differ, and some of the dates may describe different events. For travel, use the code and confirm the timetable with the railway. For history, quote a source and its date.

Written by LocalReports Editorial Team

Disclosure: This article was drafted with AI assistance and was reviewed by the Local Reports Editorial Team. Information comes from an Indian Railways station list, Wikipedia, eRail, Times of India reports dated 2017, 2022, 2023 and 2025, IRCTC’s train search page and the Maharashtra gazetteer, read on 25 and 26 October 2026. It can change at any time. Please confirm names, codes and timetables with the railway before you travel.