A unique eatery opened on Monday in Mysuru’s Rail Museum and hopes to recreate the ambience of travelling in a train while sipping coffee. The Coach Restaurant is exactly what its name says – a railway coach turned into a cafeteria.
The idea was the brainchild of Aparna Garg, Divisional Railway Manager, Mysuru Division. She inaugurated the restaurant which is the latest attraction at the Rail Museum which is famous for its exhibits that tell the story of Indian Railways’ history and evolution.
The restaurant can accommodate 20 people at a time with four seats per table. "It gives an immediate reconnect with the train journeys. You can sit to relish hygienically prepared snacks/light refreshments and beverages like coffee and tea," a press release issued by South Western Railway said.
The coach-turned restaurant also gives customers a view of the outdoor exhibits in the rail museum like the vintage steam locomotives, level crossing gate, and a green tunnel.
The museum was reopened after COVID-19 restrictions in Mysuru were lifted this month. The cafeteria set up within the museum is now an added attraction for the visitors to the museum.
It will be run by South Western Railway Women’s Welfare Organization in a 'no-profit no-loss' model, Aparna said.
The museum was established by the Indian Railways in 1979. At the time, it was the second such museum in the country after the first one was set up in New Delhi.
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The museum also has a gallery of photographs depicting the growth of the Indian railways. Railway signals and lights are also displayed at the museum.
It also has a rare collection of royal carriages belonging to the rulers of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom, the Wodeyars.
The museum was closed for renovation in 2018 and opened on March 14, 2020. Soon after it reopened though, the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus was imposed.