HYDERABAD: Soon, residents and tourists visiting Hyderabad will be able to indulge in their favourite delicacies from around the world, served with an extra helping of adventure and anticipation, in a train coach. And the best part is, there is no need to book a train ticket. This is all possible as the South Central Railway (SCR) zone, in a first-of-its-kind initiative in Telangana, is launching a ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ next to the Necklace Road Railway station in the heart of the city.
The restaurant is being created by refurbishing the interior and exterior of an abandoned railway coach, which will be mounted on a rail track. The work is progressing rapidly, and the restaurant is expected to be ready by the end of July.
Sources said the interior of the coach will be creatively decorated to replicate a rail-themed setting, providing a fine-dining experience for approximately 30 to 40 guests. The coach will be equipped with tables, air conditioning and other amenities, they mentioned, adding that the walls of the coach will also be adorned with colourful paintings.
The discarded coach has been placed on tracks outside the Necklace Road Railway Station. The contractor is currently working on fixing the entry and exit points of the coach, while the interior work has just begun and will take a few weeks to complete, said officials.
Following that, the tables and chairs will be installed, and the kitchen will be constructed outside. Sufficient parking space will be available for vehicles. The restaurant will be open to everyone, whether they are rail passengers or the general public, they clarified.
The sources said this one-of-a-kind restaurant concept in the State is expected to attract locals as well as tourists visiting popular attractions such as NTR Gardens, Tank Bund, the towering Dr BR Ambedkar statue, Lumbini Park and Sanjeevaiah Park. Under the unique catering policy, SCR plans to set up ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ at other stations with high footfall, offering a unique dining experience inside modified coaches mounted on rails.
The refurbished train coach, transformed into an air-conditioned restaurant, will serve a variety of multi-cuisine delicacies ranging from north Indian and south Indian to Chinese. Private agencies will lease the restaurant, enabling SCR to generate annual revenue of approximately Rs 20-25 lakh. A similar ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ is already operating on the east side of Guntur Railway Station in Andhra Pradesh, catering not only to train passengers but also to the general public.