Indian Railways converts old train coach into a beautiful restaurant at Jabalpur station

Source-https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/indian-railways-converts-old-train-coach-into-a-beautiful-restaurant-at-jabalpur-station/photostory/89289804.cms?picid=89289842

Publisher- Times of India/India Times

When it comes to dining out, the idea is to break the monotony of regular meals at home. From dining in a moving restaurant to exploring new cuisines in the air, we have heard about many unique ideas that are surely worth a try. As per the latest news, people of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh will soon be able to enjoy scrumptious food in an old train coach, which has been refurbished into an exotic-looking restaurant. This initiative is initiated by the Indian Railways under the Non-Revenue Policy and is called ‘Beautiful Restaurants on Wheels’. Under this initiative, old train coaches are refurbished and transformed into rail coach restaurants. For the unversed, even after conversion into rail coach restaurants, these train coaches will continue to remain as Indian Railways’ property.

If you think that trend is something new, let us tell you that the first such initiative was taken by Eastern Railways in 2020, when an old railway coach at Asansol station in West Bengal was converted into a restaurant. 

As per reports, the restaurant made inside an old and unused coach of platform number 6 of Jabalpur railway station, Madhya Pradesh will soon be opened for the public to relish regional flavours and other Indian delights too. As per reports, apart from Jabalpur, six other stations under West Central Railway (WCR), will also have these concept restaurants. 

For the unversed, the Non-Fare Revenue policy of Indian Railways ensures that all the railway networks of India are adding bulk to their income through various sources other than freight and passenger receipts.

In a statement, Rajesh Dutt Bajpai, executive director (I&P) of Indian Railways, informed a media house that they have started giving liberty to the private players to take unused railway coaches on contract for five years and refurbish them into ‘Beautiful Restaurants on Wheels’. As per reports, the Indian railways will realize the licence fee from the party that takes the coach on contract for refurbishing under the non-fare revenue policy of the Indian Railways. The official tweet of the West Central Railway states, “Once the restaurant opens, a revenue of ₹13 lakh will be earned annually under non-fare revenue.”