‘Pepsi Rajdhani’ & ‘Coke Shatabdi’, Indian Railways Plans To Brand Trains And Stations

The Indian Railways has kept 2016 one of the most electrifying years for its progress and by the look out, we're thinking that 2017 will be even better.?

Aiming at hiking revenues, facilitating better opportunities, ensuring excellent experiences and just bringing a good game to the field, the railways has decided to brand all its trains and stations.?

To augment revenues without raising passenger fares, the railways might change the names of existing trains to?'Pepsi Rajdhani' or 'Coke Shatabdi'.

The proposal is ready and is expected to get the approval of the railway board next week. Under the new policy, a company can buy consolidated media rights for branding the entire train. It can then advertise both inside and outside the bogies.

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(Also read:?You Can Soon Hold Your Wedding Reception On The Platforms Of Indian Railway Stations!)

"The railways has shunned the earlier approach of selling advertisement rights on a piecemeal basis and is ready with plans to award media rights for the entire train (both inside and outside) and stations on a long-term basis to big corporate players," said a senior official.

The move comes after PM's acceleration at a meeting, where he asked the ministry to buckle up and increase?revenues from alternative sources like tapping advertisement potential.

Right now,?Railway is targeting at Rs 2,000 crore non-fare revenue.

Apart from this, the plan is to modernise the stations with world class facilities and make it more creative. Since the option for hiking passenger fares is out of the window, owing to state elections in 5 states, this is the sole option.?

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This is not the first time that railway has opted for something?like this. You might remember the colourful trains from last year, with printing on it? Well, Railway sold it to vinyl wrapping advertisements on the exteriors of four trains with an aim to earn over Rs 8 crore in a year.

Huge LED screens will come up at stations, platforms and foot overbridges (leading to station areas) for advertising.?

The train branding packages will be offered through bidding in a phased manner, starting with Rajdhani and Shatabdi services. The Railways is also trying to reach big names from the advertising world for spaces on trains, level crossings and areas along tracks besides offering major platforms for installing over 2,000 ATMs.