Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Passengers and visitors travelling to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in 2022 will be able to dine in the city’s first restaurant on wheels.
The Central Railway (CR) has awarded the tender for the construction of the restaurant that will come up at the P D’Mello entrance of the terminus.
The restaurant will be made inside a discarded rail coach and the construction is likely to start by year-end. The interior of the restaurant will be designed on the Indian Railways theme.
‘Contract for the construction and designing has been awarded. The coach has not been physically moved yet to the P D’Mello entrance of the terminus but will be done soon. We are planning to open the restaurant by mid next year,’ said a senior Central Railway official.
The coach will be placed alongside the heritage gully at the entrance of the terminus. The gully has rail artefacts including narrow gauge locomotives, country first locomotives, and a printing press.
The zonal railway is expected to earn nearly ₹28 lakhs by providing the restaurant to a contractor.
The rail tracks, coach and a drainage system will be provided by the Central Railway.
The restaurant on wheels plan was suggested by the Indian Railways in a bid to increase the non-fare revenue. All zonal railways have been asked to identify locations to construct restaurants inside discarded coaches.
