Tourism, Culture and Spirituality Minister and Chairman, State Tourism Development Corporation Sushri Usha Thakur inaugurated Rail Coach Restaurant, ‘Bhopal Express’ in the premises of Hotel Lake View after renovation. Thakur said that tourism activities have been resumed in the state in view of the circumstances of COVID-19 under the direction of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In this sequence, the Tourism Development Corporation has prepared a newly equipped Rail Coach Restaurant for the tourists and food-dining enthusiasts.
The interiors of the coach have been done on a royal theme, using an Art Deco theme. With the development of tourism, employment opportunities at the local level will increase in the state. With innovations like rural tourism, wellness tourism and adventure tourism, our state is ready to welcome tourists from across the country and abroad.
Managing Director, State Tourism Development Corporation S. Viswanathan said that seating arrangement for 32 people has been made inside the rail coach restaurant and seating arrangement has been made outside the coach also for about 50 guests. Beautiful landscaping has been done around the coach so that Guests will be able to enjoy sitting inside the rail coach as well as outside. The LED screens and speakers of the coach have also been upgraded, which will make the guests feel like traveling in a train. With this up-gradation and renovation works, a large number of tourists and food lovers will surely enjoy the delicious delicacies here.
Notably, in the year 2007, the country's first broad gauge restaurant was prepared in the Hotel Lake view's premises with the efforts of the then Managing Director Tourism Development Corporation Ashwani Lohani. It is a sleeper class coach which was installed with the help of the railway department. Due to the pride of Bhopal, it was named Shan-e-Bhopal. After some time the name of the restaurant was changed to Bhopal Express. After the successful operation of the restaurant for almost 14 years, the up-gradation and beautification work was done on the new theme.
