Patna : Buoyed by the success of the “coach restaurant” at Barauni station under the Sonepur division of East Central Railway ( ECR ), the railways has decided to open nine more such coach restaurants in the division. Among them, the ones at Khagaria and Hajipur will be inaugurated this month. Sonepur divisional railway manager (DRM) Vivek Bhushan Sood expressed satisfaction with the performance of the coach restaurant at Barauni.
He said around 3,000 passengers are availing the facility daily. The restaurant offers a menu of 46 dishes, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, including fast food. The barbeque system costs Rs 499 per person.
To ensure food quality and transparency in preparation, the railways has installed two 58-inch colour televisions — one inside the AC coach restaurant and the other in the station’s circulating area — broadcasting live footage of the kitchen. “Passengers can also view the digital menu card and food prices on these screens for convenience,” Sood added. The coach restaurant also features a QR code system for placing meal or breakfast orders, along with fast food and ice cream counters.
“We are offering a 5% discount on food bills for passengers who book their meals or tickets via QR code or make digital payments to promote cashless transactions,” Sood said. Sonepur senior divisional commercial manager Raushan Kumar said the railways is repurposing abandoned coaches to create these restaurants, modelled on the luxurious “Palac.