Soon, hostesses and stewards in premium trains

LUCKNOW: Soon after the launch of high-speed trains, the railways is now all set to introduce hostesses and stewards in its premium trains, taking its services at par with the airways.

Officials said the hostesses and stewards would be deployed on the same pattern as in the airways.

This is a part of ongoing modernisation plan that aims at ensuring a better travelling experience to the passengers.

“It would be ensured that the hostesses and stewards are polite, humble and above all, well groomed to assist the train passengers in a decent way,” a senior railway official said.

The idea to deploy train hostesses and stewards came up in 2016, soon after the railway minister’s announcement in the railway budget.

The same year, the railways introduced 30 hostesses and stewards along with chefs in the semi-high speed Gatiman Express that shuttles between Delhi and Agra.

Officials said the deployment of train hostesses and stewards on Gatiman Express was part of the pilot project.

It turned out successful, after which the railways plans to extend the services to its other premium trains, like Shatabdi and Rajdhani.

“Initially, the deployment would be made in the day trains like Shatabdi that are also short distance trains. Rajdhani is also under consideration,” an official added.

Sources in the railways said its subsidiary Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) also planned to hire some service providers to help in the deployment of hostesses and stewards in trains.

Sandeep Dutta, public relation officer, IRCTC told HT that presently the hostesses and stewards were deployed in Gatiman in which Haldirams was the service provider.

He said they were introduced in Gatiman Express on an experimental basis that proved out to be successful. He said their deployment in other premium trains was purely the railway’s call.