West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri station gets 'Rail Coach Restaurant'

An old train coach was refurbished to convert it into a restaurant, which has started serving multi-cuisine delicacies to people at the New Jalpaiguri railway station in West Bengal's Siliguri, an official said on Tuesday.

The 'Rail Coach Restaurant', which has a capacity of 32 guests, is serving different cuisines - from North Indian and South Indian to Chinese, said Sanjay Chilwarwar, the additional divisional railway manager of New Jalpaiguri Junction.

"The restaurant will not only help in increasing the revenue of the railways but also passengers will be able to have a unique experience of dining on a train coach," he said. Not just railway passengers, but anyone can come and dine at the restaurant, he added.

The Northeast Frontier Railway is also planning to set up such restaurants in Sukna, Tindhara, Kurseong and Darjeeling stations of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, said Chilwarwar. "A huge number of people travel through the New Jalpaiguri station, and they look for nearby places to eat, this initiative will be a great help for them. We are hopeful that they will like the unique concept," said the restaurant's operator Sishir Haldar.

After refurbishing the old coach, the railway handed it to the licensee, which spent another Rs 30 lakh on setting up the restaurant, said an official. The restaurant, which is serviced by 40 staff, is operational from 6 am to 10 pm, he said.