New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express to promote Odisha’s rich heritage

Bhubaneswar: National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO) and East Coast Railway (ECoR) on Monday came together to set the wheels rolling by signing an agreement to promote Odisha’s rich art, culture and heritage through branding of New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express.

The agreement was signed in the presence of NALCO CMD Tapan Kumar Chand and senior officials of the ECoR. 

NALCO will sponsor high-quality designs on vinyl wrapping sheets to drape the Rajdhani Trains. The East Coast Railway has 03 sets of Train rakes of Rajdhani Express.

The designs have been made such that each coach will have a distinct display. The designs will adorn the exteriors of the train.

The designs will promote 03 themes – Dance forms, Archaeological monuments and flora & fauna of the State.

“This will go a long way in promoting tourism potential of Odisha and promote traditional Odishan Art,” said Ajoy Behera, Principal Chief Commercial Manager of East Coast Railway.

These designs will be placed between the glass windows of the coach on exterior side. There will be two more strips, one at the top and the other at the bottom, reflecting various designs in Traditional Pattachitra frorm.

There are a total of 3 rakes for Rajdhani Express. Each rake will consist of about 15 coaches. NALCO will pay Rs 1 crore for each rake, totalling Rs 3 crore as advertisement revenue to East Coast Railway.

NALCO’s designs and logos will also feature on the coaches. Reputed designers and agencies have been engaged for the exercise.

The target for commissioning this project in New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express is one month from today.

Eminent citizens from various walks of life including award-winning actor Nandita Das, veteran singer Padma Shri Prafulla Kar, world-class dancer Padma Shri Dr Ileana Citaristi and celebrated sculptor Padma Shri Sudarshan Sahu have lauded the effort of NALCO in promoting the art, culture and heritage of Odisha at the national level.

They opined, “This is a historic opportunity for NALCO and Indian Railways to come together and showcase Odisha’s rich art, culture, heritage, flora & fauna, and the vibrant dance forms of the state. This initiative will not only pave the way for increasing the tourism potential of Odisha, but also create employment opportunities when people across the country learn about the popular tourist spots, along with the rich culture that Odisha possesses.’’

The agreement was signed between L. Das, DGM (CC&PR), NALCO and P.K.Samal, Senior DCM, Khurda, ECoR.