Bengaluru's KSR railway station to unveil rail coach restaurant in March 2024

Rail coach restaurant is being planned at Bengaluru City railway station

Bengaluru citizens can enjoy meals at a coach-turned-restaurant at KSR Bengaluru City Railway Station from March 2024.

"Two railway stations in the Bengaluru division of South Western Railway - KSR Bengaluru City and Sir M Visvesvaraya terminal at Byappanahalli - will have these coach-turned-restaurants," Kusuma Hariprasad, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Bengaluru division), told Moneycontrol.

"On December 20, we lowered an old coach onto a small railway track laid at the main entrance of KSR Bengaluru City station. The rail coach restaurant will be opened in March 2024" she said.

It's part of the SWR's non-fare revenue initiative, wherein old and to-be-scrapped railway coaches are modified, refurbished, and converted into restaurants. "The idea is to give passengers a new dining experience while retaining the ambience of a train coach," said Hariprasad.

Also, read: Central Railway identifies new locations to set up 'restaurants on wheels'

The rail coach restaurants will be placed near the main entrance of both stations and will cater to the public 24x7, she said.

"The contracts for these rail-coach restaurants were awarded in June this year. The contract for the rail coach restaurant at KSR Bengaluru City Railway Station was awarded to OAM Industries Pvt Ltd. and Gaurav Enterprises received the contract for Sir MV terminal. The contract tenure is for five years and is expected to fetch the railways a total revenue of Rs 7.54 crore in license fees," Hariprasad said.

She said the firms will convert them into restaurants with a seating capacity of 40 inside and another 40 outside. "They will serve both South and North Indian cuisines but will start with vegetarian options and extend the menu based on demand."

Railway stations in cities like Hubballi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Bhopal, Mumbai, Nagpur, Lucknow, and Kolkata already have these facilities.

Also, read: Convert aged coaches into restaurants: Railway Board