Rajdhani, Shatabdi to turn into billboards-on-wheels

Moneycontrol BureauIn a bid to raise non-operational revenue and make up for financial losses from passenger segment, Railway Ministry has sold branding rights for seven Rajdhani and Shatabdi premium trains for about Rs 200 crore.

The ministry has e-auctioned two Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhanis, Guwahati Rajdhani, two Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shatabdis, Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi, and a Jan Shatabdi to media buying agencies for vinyl wrapping and other branding activities in contracts of five years which can further be extended by the same tenure, a railway board official told The Economic Times.

The government also plans to maximise non-operational revenue by putting up 100 premium trains, including the Durontos, Tejas’ and Udays. Besides, the Railway Ministry also plans to raise Rs 1,700 crore by auctioning ad space inside trains on long-term contracts. 

It is in talks with Hindustan Unilever and Patanjali Ayurved to sell branding and promotion rights, the report said, adding that the Railway Ministry wants to raise Rs 10,000 crore annually through non-operational revenue route.