In its bid to generate additional revenue, the railways has decided to allow trains to be used for promotional activities under a new scheme, a press release by Western Railways and IRCTC said.
Under the initiative called "Promotion on Wheels", special trains will be made available for promotion and publicity of art, culture, films, television programmes, sports etc.
The railways have already collaborated with Akshay Kumar-starrer "Housefull 4" as its first client who has already booked a train for the film's promotion. The first eight coach "Promotion on Wheels" train by the IRCTC and the Western Railway, in coordination with the "Housefull 4" team, carrying celebrities and mediapersons, will leave Mumbai Central on Wednesday and reach New Delhi on Thursday mentioned the release and pass through several states and important districts such as Surat, Vadodara and Kota to attract attention from the public stationed at these stations/junctions.
"Under this initiative, the railways has approached many major production houses with upcoming films to use these FTR (Full Tariff Rates) trains to facilitate pan-India publicity and promotions of films across the length and breadth of the country. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) shall be the nodal agency for handling such trains," the release said.
The IRCTC will undertake attractive and thematic vinyl-wrapping of these promotional trains, keeping in view that the trains will be crisscrossing the country.