PRINCE KUMAR
Ranchi, April 10: After several key railway stations such as New Delhi, Bilaspur, Asansol and Mumbai, Ranchi railway station is all set to get its first restaurant on wheels in a few months’ time to serve delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian food to passengers.
Devraj Banerjee, senior public relations officer said, “We are planning to set up restaurants in obsolete railway coaches. These coaches will be set up at the station complex and will be leased out to private players for overhauling and operation.”
The division is looking to give away one railway coach at present for the project which in its first phase will be installed at Ranchi railway station for which place is being decided, Banerjee added.
“The objective of the restaurant will be to offer the passengers and tourists a different kind of ambience along with food as they embark on their journeys,” he added.
The restaurant on wheels is an up-and-coming trend of the Indian Railways. In recent months, several key railway stations such as New Delhi, Bilaspur, Asansol and Mumbai have commissioned such restaurants. Very recently, the Calcutta Tramways Company, the operators of the iconic trams of Kolkata, opened a tram museum-cum-cafeteria. “The cafeterias in the railway stations are drawing good crowds and we decided to work along these lines too,” Banerjee said.
Railway sources said it is eyeing to use the ICF-made railway coaches, which are gradually being phased out to make way for the modern LHB coaches.
The Indian Railways have refurbished old coaches to convert them into restaurants, which offers a magnificent ambience to provide an overall experience to the customers. The interiors of the coaches have been designed in a beautiful manner.
As per the reports, the biggest USP of these restaurants is that it stays open 24 hours, and it is expected to earn a revenue of around Rs 59 lakh from this venture.
