‘Shan-e-Bhopal’ derailed?: Popular rail restaurant’s fate hangs between privatisation & encroachment

Bhopal: The fate of Madhya Pradesh Tourism's (MPT) cherished Shan-e-Bhopal Rail Coach Restaurant teeters on the edge following the privatization of Hotel Lake View Ashok, its longtime home. MPT is yet to decide the new place for the restaurant.Inaugurated in March 2007 as a groundbreaking collaboration between MPT and the Indian Railways, this restored broad-gauge rail coach — decked out in a nostalgic 19th-century railway theme — quickly became one of India's pioneering eateries of its kind. Nestled by Bhopal's serene Upper Lake, it lured food lovers and tourists alike with its immersive ambiance, vintage lanterns, wooden paneling, and menu blending local flavors with continental fare.But now, with Hotel Lake View Ashok handed over to private management, the restaurant's relocation hangs in limbo. MPT officials confirm the site is no longer viable, leaving the prized asset in storage limbo.An earlier plan to shift it to Sair Sapata, a popular lakeside park, has spectacularly derailed after it has itself became allegedly an encroached property by the state govt.Regular visitors are vocal about the delay as they warned, "Losing Shan-e-Bhopal would be a blow to our heritage tourism. It's not just a restaurant — it's a slice of rail history."Visitors echo the sentiment. Frequent patron Ravi Mehta, 45, reminisced, "Dining in that coach felt like time travel. Relocate it soon, or it'll fade into obscurity."As alternatives like Kerwa Dam or upcoming tourism circuits are floated, MPT scrambles for solutions. When contacted, general manager (operations), Ajay Shrivastava said, "I am not authorised to talk about it. Talk to company secretary Sandesh Yashlaha."CS Yashlaha said, "We are searching the place to shift the rail coach restaurent. We are working on the feasibility."With no firm timeline, locals fret over the rolling dining icon's next stop. Will Bhopal's unique gem chug on, or rust away? The track ahead remains on a foggy lane.