Rail Museum to take Commonwealth Games visitors on joyride

Light and sound shows, a tour on a special steam engine, documentary screenings…with all these new features, the capital’s National Rail Museum is expected to take thousands of Commonwealth Games tourists on a ride into the past.

Massive renovation and upgradation work has been taking place at the museum, which houses the Fairy Queen, the oldest working engine in the world.

“We have received a budget of Rs.50 million for carrying out renovation and upgradation work. We are in the process of commissioning several new facilities to attract a large number of tourists during the Games,” Manish Jain, director of the Rail Museum, told IANS.

A special documentary, “Gandhi and Railways”, showcasing Mahatma Gandhi’s struggle for independence will be screened Oct 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and the eve of the Games. The mega event will be held from Oct 3 to 14.

“Gandhiji’s struggle against racial discrimination in South Africa started after he was thrown out of the first class compartment of a train. The documentary will showcase his struggle in South Africa and on to leading the freedom movement in India,” Jain said.

Situated in the diplomatic enclave of Chanakyapuri, the Rail Museum is a storehouse of information on the over 150-year-old history of Indian Railways.

The other attractions will be light and sound shows, a tour on a special steam engine and star engine exhibits - Fairy Queen, Patiala State Monorail trainway, fire engine, steam engine, as well as models of the Darjeeling Hill Railway, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka Shimla Railway and Matheran Light Tramway.

To attract a large number of tourists during the Commonwealth Games, the museum authorities have decided to stretch the closing time by two hours. The museums opens at 9.30 a.m.

“We are expecting to receive 8,000-10,000 visitors during the Games period. So we have decided to remain open till 9 p.m. instead of the scheduled 7 p.m. during the Games. Several guides and volunteers will be available to provide complete information about the museum to the visitors,” he said.

The authorities are also planning a nominal hike in ticket prices before the mega sporting event.

“As of now tickets are priced between Rs.3 to Rs.10. We will increase the prices nominally in the coming months,” he added.

The Rail Museum was inaugurated in February 1977.

Spread over 11 acres, it comprises an indoor gallery devoted to the display of various exhibits, models, records, photographs, documents and over 100 real size engine exhibits.