On Board Shopping

Remember the days when constant movement of hawkers and chaiwalas inside the trains used to excite us to the core when we were kids and would equally irritate older passengers many a times. Well! No, they won’t bother you again with loud noises in trains but soon there will be plethora of options available to shop while on board. With the comprehensive evolution happening all around in the developing India, Ministry of Railways ensures that railways advance along with the nation. Indian Railways has always been the backbone of change and progress for the development of nation. Considering this, Central Railway zone of Indian Railways has proposed an onboard shopping service for long distance passengers like the in-flight shopping.

Lately, Indian railway has come up with some surprising projects to enhance passenger experience. Similarly, the plan of shopping onboard proposed by the railways is a great news for the shopaholic passengers. Now passengers can shop onboard during their journey just like in aircraft. As in flights one can buy anything choosing from the catalogue the flight attendant gives you.

The shopping service will allow passengers to choose from a selection of consumer durables. Railways has planned to introduce the facility in these trains initially - Konark Express, Chennai Express, and Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Duronto. The facility will be available in the AC coaches of these trains, according to a Mumbai Mirror report.

The items which will be available on-board for passengers to choose from will include small gadgets such as earphones, cosmetic or beauty products, among other items. A central railway official was quoted in the report saying that the tender would be floated in the next 15 days. The central railway official also informed that passengers will be able to purchase articles either by paying cash or through online transfer.

According to officials, the on-board shopping service will be launched on a trial basis. The officials further stated that if the shopping service is successful in these 3 premium trains, then the plan will be extended to other trains as well. Also, the details of the project are being worked out. The company will tell the CR, which products can be sold onboard to passengers, after the CR examines, whether such articles are permitted or not. Accordingly, a list of articles would be finalized.

A trolley would be used to showcase the articles. An official said, “A collapsing trolley would be used so that the passengers are not inconvenienced. We will provide a feel of flights to our AC commuters.” The railway is optimistic and hopes passengers enjoy and appreciate the initiative.

To improve its services railways has introduced many passenger-friendly services recently. A few days ago, Piyush Goyal also decided to redevelop 90 railway stations into world-class ‘airport-like’ transit hubs. The decision has been taken to enhance passenger amenities at railway stations. The plan includes many passenger-friendly amenities such as CCTV cameras, WiFi facility, LED lights etc. Additionally, over 600 major railway stations will also undergo renovation under the national transporter’s redevelopment plan. Also, if you get to board any of these trains during the trial basis of this project, do share your experiences of the onboard in-train shopping in the comments section below!