If you are fond of collecting souvenirs and are fascinated with 150-year-old history of Indian Railways then the newly-opened store at National Rail Museum at New Delhi Railway Station is the place to drop by.
National Rail Museum opened its first flagship store for Rail souvenirs at platform number one in New Delhi Railway Station on Monday. Souvenir Shoppe — designed in a distinct British architectural design with slanting roof and red brick walls to refresh the memories of pre-independence era — aims at depicting the glorious past of Indian Railways.
The souvenir shop would have a host of items with a stamp of railway’s heritage on each product.
Ranging from a replica of world’s oldest certified working steam locomotive, Fairy Queen (1855) to the replica of locomotives used in Himalayan Darjeeling Railway dated 1889.
In order to woo kids, different flavours of chocolates in steam loco shapes and old railway princely crests have also been put on sale there.
While the store at New Delhi railway station is first of its kind, the officials said they are planning to open a similar store at Shimla railway station a month later.
“The idea behind opening the store is to bring the heritage of Indian Railways closer to people,” said Manu Goel, executive director, heritage, Indian Railways.
“While New Delhi railway station was chosen (as store’s venue) due to the high footfall, the next shop is likely to come up at Shimla as it is a popular tourist destination. Going by the response to these stores, we would take a call on opening such stores at other major stations across the country,” he added.
Divisional railway manager Anurag Sachan said adequate measures would be taken to popularise the kiosks. “We would incorporate the information about the store in the public announcement system,” Sachan said.
The other items offered for sale at the station include models of old station clock, caps, T-shirts, engine-shaped paper weights, ties and books on heritage steam locos.