Indian railways to transform over-aged railway coaches into restaurants

With an aim to generate income and provide livelihood to people, the Railway Board has asked its zonal officers to transform over-aged railway coaches into rail-themed eateries.

“Rail museums/heritage parks that witness substantial footfall, has potential to supplement its revenue as well generate additional employment by opening rail coach restaurants. For this purpose, railways may suitably convert, refurbish one or two overage coaches into rail theme-based restaurant for catering to museum visitors and general public,” executive director (heritage), Subrata Nath, wrote in his letter dated July 21, 2018 to the railway zones.
Nath gave the example of India’s first multi-cuisine railway coach restaurant in Bhopal—Shan-e-Bhopal—and stated that restaurants built on such theme do well with tourists and casual diners.

According to a letter written by Nath, the railways will rope in architecture and hospitality professionals to conceptualise, design and prepare a full-fledged layout of the proposed restaurant. The zones have been told to make proposals and approve suitable works for restoring and strengthening railway museums, galleries, heritage parks, as well as installing CCTV cameras and facilitating the differently-abled visitors.
The letter also lays emphasis on a guideline to be followed in rejuvenating vintage saloons and coaches in rail museums, which needs timely maintenance and refurbishing. The letter has reportedly asked for examination of the old coaches by professional entities so that a detailed report of their present state and future plan of action for their restoration can be worked out.

Previously, the railways had floated a tender for the lease of 8 royal saloons to private hotel chains and tour operators. In December 2017, the railways sent out an expression of interest inviting interests from private companies to remodel bogeys and run them as eateries on revenue-sharing basis on 25-year lease. In January 2018, delegates of India’s top five catering chains, and a globally popular travel firm, expressed interested in the tender floated by the railways.