In a move taking Mumbaikars by surprise, the Western Railway (WR) has directed the shutdown of 55 AH Wheeler bookstalls across platforms in its Mumbai Central Division. In a letter issued on March 28, the body asked contractors to suspend operations and withdraw from the stalls within 72 hours or by March 31, 2026.

How did these bookstalls come to be, and why are they now being shuttered? We explain.

‘End of an era’

The notification came after the completion of a five-year agreement between both parties. Signed in 2021, the contract directed the conversion of these traditional bookstalls into multi-purpose stalls (MPS) vending snacks, beverages, and other items alongside books, newspapers, and magazines. An official source claimed the decision was taken owing to financial considerations and loss of revenue on these stalls.

Reacting to the news, Mumbaikars lamented the loss of their beloved stalls, from where they often picked up reading material for their commute at affordable rates. Residents took to the internet, basking in nostalgia and recounting literature they perused through while travelling. Comic books like Tinkle, Champak, Chacha Choudhary, Chandamama, and magazines like Readers Digest and Digit purchased at AH Wheeler kiosks found honorary mentions. Terming it the “end of an era”, commuters asserted that browsing through the large variety of literary works available at bookstalls on platforms and purchasing a few for the long train journey was perhaps the most enjoyable part about a tedious train journey ahead.

With its roots in colonial India, the first AH Wheeler bookstall was established at Allahabad (modern-day Prayagraj) railway station in 1877. It was the brainchild of French businessman Èmile Moreau. Upon his friend Arthur Wheeler’s insistence on clearing out his home library brimming with books, Moreau volunteered to install an almirah at the Allahabad station to sell the books to commuters. The idea turned out to be a hit, with readers flocking to the stalls, and glancing through books, journals, and magazines alike.

In the 1950s, the Banerjee family took charge of the bookstalls and manages it to date.

The Kipling connection

In the years to come, Wheeler monopolised the sale of literary works at railway stations across India. The book Indian Railways: The Weaving Of A National Tapestry (by Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha, and Vidya Krishnamurti) mentions that in 1888, Moreau set up an enterprise titled “The Indian Railway Library” on Rudyard Kipling’s insistence. Kipling, who was then working as a journalist in India, had also published a series of short stories detailing Anglo-Indian life. The book contends that Kipling’s recommendation arose from his requirement for funds for his travel back to England. Accordingly, six small stories by Kipling — “Soldiers Three”, “The Story of the Gadsbys”, “In Black and White”, “Under the Deodars”, “The Phantom ’Rickshaw”, and “Wee Willie Winkie” were published as paperbacks, priced at Re 1 each under AH Wheeler & Co. Accordingly, the British storyteller sold the copyright of these six works to Moreau before leaving for England.

However, their relationship later turned sour. In letters sent to his agents, Kipling recounted a struggle to buy back the books’ rights from the French entrepreneur. He also learnt that AH Wheeler & Co reprinted his work, including The City of Dreadful Night and Other Sketches and Letters of Marque (originally published in The Civil and Military Gazette and The Pioneer), without his knowledge. Later, Kipling sued Moreau for copyright infringement and royalties. The matter was resolved with Kipling being assigned all rights for his contributions in The Pioneer.

However, AH Wheeler & Co played a substantial role in making Kipling’s work available to the masses.

What happens next

As of 2004, AH Wheeler kiosks were present at 258 locations at railway stations. Years later, in 2017, a government policy mandated the conversion of bookstalls at railway stations into multi-purpose stalls (MPS). The Railways claimed that the move aimed to decongest the platform and make all required products for commuters available under one roof. Accordingly, kiosks selling literary works would also carry over-the-counter medicines and non-pharmacy items. In 2019, this policy was revised again, directing the sale of food and packaged drinking water from the stalls.

Moving forward, WR has floated fresh tenders for licensing these bookstalls and has already auctioned 19 stalls of the 55 in phase one. The rest will follow suit in phase two. With A.H. Wheeler & Co. stalls long woven into the daily commute, all eyes are now on how WR repurposes these newly vacated spaces across its Mumbai Central division.