Eastern Railway launches magazine for free distribution among Vande Bharat Express passengers
Kolkata, July 15
In an effort to enhance the travel experience on Indian Railways' premier Vande Bharat Express, the Howrah Division of Eastern Railway on Tuesday introduced a family "Phygital" magazine "Vande Express" to be distributed among passengers.
The magazine will be distributed among passengers of the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express free of cost. The magazine is innovative as it will allow passengers to read some content directly, while other material can be accessed by scanning QR codes.
The magazine was developed by ANOTHER INDIA, and the free distribution will not result in any financial liability on the Railways. The magazine was formally launched by Uday Shankar Jha, principal chief commercial manager, ER, Vishal Kapoor, divisional railway manager, Howrah Division, and other senior railway officials.
"Designed to enhance the onboard travel experience, 'Vande Express' integrates conventional print media with QR-enabled digital content, offering passengers access to information on travel, tourism, heritage, lifestyle, children's interactive activities, and railway services," an ER official said.
"The publication also disseminates information on key passenger-centric initiatives of Indian Railways, including the RailOne App, Rail Madad, the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Vande Bharat Sleeper, and the cultural and tourism heritage of eastern India," he added.
The initiative has been implemented under a non-fare revenue model, enabling the introduction of a value-added passenger service through private participation without any expenditure by the Railway Administration. Besides enriching the travel experience, the project serves as an effective platform for passenger awareness and dissemination of important railway information.
The initiative reflects the innovative approach adopted by ANOTHER INDIA in developing a technology-enabled publication that combines print and digital engagement while ensuring the commercial sustainability of the project, the official said.
The introduction of "Vande Express" marks another step towards creating a more informed, engaging and digitally connected travel experience, reaffirming Indian Railways' commitment to improving passenger services through innovation, technology and customer-centric initiatives.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is great, but I hope it's not just filled with ads. The 'non-fare revenue model' sounds like it'll be funded by commercial content. If it's genuinely useful info on tourism and kids' activities, then it's a thumbs up from me! 👍
Interesting concept – print meets digital! As someone who travels internationally frequently, I've seen similar magazines on European trains. Good to see Indian Railways adopting this. The focus on eastern India's tourism is a smart move too. Let's see how well the QR codes work with patchy mobile signal, though!
Finally some creative thinking in Indian Railways beyond just fixing tracks! The kids' activities section is a nice touch – makes long journeys easier for parents. Just hope the magazine doesn't become an excuse to hike ticket prices later. Free is good, but keep it that way 😊
A 'phygital' magazine? That's a fancy term for a brochure with QR codes! Still, I appreciate the effort to make train travel more engaging. My only critique: Why start from Howrah-New Jalpaiguri only? What about other Vande Bharat routes like Mumbai-Ahmedabad? They should roll this out faster across the network.
This is a good initiative but let's not forget basics first. Many stations still lack proper cleanliness! That said, I do believe we need both – better infrastructure AND better passenger experience. The Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat info in the magazine is useful. Just don't let it become a dusty pile in the corner!
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