"The Rails" to attract more visitors to rail museum

The National Rail Museum here will soon get a swanky restaurant--"The Rails" which the Railway Ministry's aims to develop as a prominent evening tourist destination in the national capital.

The restaurant, which would be made operational soon, has a replica of the central dome portion of Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) which is a UNESCO World Heritage building.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will manage and operate the restaurant where the tourists can enjoy an array of sumptuous cuisines.

"We have received a directive from the Railway Ministry to operate the restaurant. We will be delighted to manage and operate the new restaurant at the National Rail Museum, a landmark in the national capital," IRCTC Chairman and Managing Director A K Manocha said.
 

The eatery is part of the Railway Ministry's plan to develop the rail museum as a prominent evening tourist destination in the national capital.

The depiction of formation of Indian Railways through unification of a large number of independent rail companies would be a prominent feature of the restaurant.

It has also possessed a unique "serving train", which was recently showcased in a Bollywood film.

Besides, plans are also afoot to develop other facilities at the museum which include "light and sound show" and "vintage hotels" on "Palace on Wheel" coaches, a luxurious train with royal trappings, to attract more visitors.

IRCTC would develop these facilities in the museum complex.

"The restaurant, with a-la-carte dining options for the upmarket segment, has the potential to generate revenues for the railways as tourists and visitors will find it an attractive place for having food and also as a relaxing place during their visit to the rail museum," Manocha said.

The museum has a footfall of about 2,000 on weekdays and 5,000 on weekends and holidays.

With light and sound show and fountain and indoor gallery becoming functional during evening, "The Rails" can play a major role in repositioning the National Rail Museum as a prominent evening destination in the tourist landscape of Delhi, an official said.