Central Railway Station

About this place

The Central Railway Station is a historic building in Maputo, built between 1908 and 1916 in the Beaux-Arts style and ranked by international publications among the world's most beautiful stations. A big dark dome rises over its white and pale green front. Run by Mozambique Ports and Railways, it is among the capital's best-known symbols and most photographed sights. The city's first station, when it was called Lourenço Marques, was a simple building of wood and zinc opened in 1895. Plans for the present station began in 1904, with first drawings by Mario Veiga and Alfredo Augusto Lisboa de Lima. These were altered in Lisbon, drawing on the Johannesburg terminus but with a grander front. The long metal platform opened on 19 March 1907. Before the building lie a wide square, a monument and busy bus stops, from which you see the dome, columns and arched windows. Inside, a long platform runs under a metal roof carried on decorated iron columns, with a large hanging clock. On the walls are old photographs of railway history, and the wooden doors have handsome brass handles. Old locomotives may stand nearby. It is under half a kilometre from the Central Market in a straight line and about 1 km from the cathedral. You can usually walk onto the platform, so ask at the door, and ask before taking photos inside, as it is a public facility. Keep your bag safe at the crowded bus stops. The building looks best in the morning, with the sun on its front.