Soon, light and sound, musical fountains to attract visitors at National Rail Museum

The National Rail Museum will start hosting a light and sound show and install musical fountains to attract more footfall and turn the place into an evening tourist destination. Besides, a solar-powered multi-functional museum complex will come up and a restaurant named ‘The Rails’ would be set up. The complex will also have free Wi-Fi service.

At present, the museum has 2,000 footfall on weekdays and 5,000 on weekends and holidays during daytime. “Our aim is to make it a major tourist attraction for both children and adults by adding many more attractions,”said a senior Railway Ministry official.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had announced in his 2016-17 Budget that promotion of tourism would be undertaken through rail museums and Unesco World Heritage Railway sites across the country. “There is ample open space available at NRM and we want to utilise it for a light and sound show which will depict Indian Railway’s rich history and heritage,” said an official.

The IRCTC, the Railways’ tourism and catering wing, has been entrusted with the task of installing and operating the light and sound show and also the restaurant. The museum has been recently upgraded with installation of many historical outdoor exhibits, indoor gallery, coach/engine simulator, toy train ride, fountain and souvenir shops. He said operationalising the restaurant will add immense value to rail museum.

The official said that efforts were on to provide free Wi-Fi service at the rail museum and RelTel has been approached for it. RelTel, a PSU under the Indian Railway, along with Google is involved in providing Wi-Fi service at 100 stations across the country.

Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) has been given the responsibility of preparing the preliminary design of the multi-functional complex at NRM.  The complex will be green and environment-friendly with provision of solar energy.