Pune: Bringing cheer to railway passengers, the Deccan Queen on Pune-Mumbai route has got a new dining car with brand new interiors and complete PVC flooring.
A modified dining car with modern facilities and attractive interiors joined the Deccan Queen on Saturday.
The dining car spent 28 days at the Matunga Yard Workshop of the Central Railway before returning to the tracks.
“It’s a moment of joy for the passengers of Deccan Queen as the new and renovated dining car, which is the specialty of the train, has returned in a new avatar,” said Harsha Shah of Railway Pravasi Group.
The Deccan Queen is the only passenger service in the country to have a dining car. It was introduced soon after the train became operational on June 1, 1930 and provides comfortable seating for 32 passengers fitted with tastefully furnished, cushioned chairs.
It also provides facilities such as a microwave oven, deep freezer and toaster. Railway officials said that all the old features of the dining car have been retained and some new ones have been added to keep up with the changing times.
In December 2014, railway authorities had replaced the dining car with a pantry coach, saying the car was away for maintenance.
This was followed by uproar among commuters who demanded it back, saying the dining car was part of the heritage and tradition of the Deccan Queen and it should not be replaced with an ordinary pantry car.
They demanded that the railway either replace and restore the old car or manufacture a new one.
Later, the Railways announced it would replace the pantry car with the dining car as it is an emotional issue for the passengers of the Deccan Queen.
