South-bound rly passengers to have on-board cafes soon

V Ayyappan | TNN 

Oct 3, 2008

Chennai: Travelling by a day train to Coimbatore is going to be an entirely new experience very soon. 

    Passengers will be able relish fresh hot dosas and omelettes at the executive pantry car and change into fresh clothes in the changing rooms at the end of the journey. For, southern railway has modernised the coaches of Kovai Express. 

    The seats and upholstery will also be of high quality. The refurbished train is expected to be inaugurated either next week

 or by mid-October. 

    In a pioneering effort, the pantry of the train has been re-designed to resemble a fast food restaurant, complete with food display and deep freeze boxes and a refrigerator for soft drinks. Passengers can choose food items on display at the several glass panelled display boxes before placing their orders. 

    There will not be any chairs though; the passengers will have to stand and eat like in fast food joints. The washbasin will have water saving taps with infra red sensors to control water flow. 

    The restaurant will display black and white heritage photographs of Chennai Central, Parrys, the high court building and  other city landmarks to enhance the ambience. 

    “The executive pantry car will have facilities not available in any train as of now. Passengers cannot have food in a restaurant type setting onboard trains, except on the luxury trains,” said a senior railway official. 

    One changing room each has been introduced in the two air-conditioned chair cars. “Of the three toilets, one has been converted into a changing room, with a full length mirror. It will 

also have a mechanised shoe polisher,” another 

official said. 

    The train has been refurbished at the Basin bridge train care centre, the largest maintenance yard of southern railway. The pantry car has been completed, and works on other coaches are nearing completion. 

    Three trains have been identified in each division for being refurbished: Kovai Express in Chennai, Intercity express in Salem and either Vaigai or Pallavan Express in Madurai.