In a first, Western Railway allows Vande Bharat for film shooting

MUMBAI: The Vande Bharat Express train is set to make its on-screen debut soon with the Western Railway for the first time allowing the use of the semi-high-speed train for a commercial production and shooting conducted at Mumbai Central station on Wednesday, officials said.

Award-winning filmmaker Shoojit Sircar became the first director to use the Vande Bharat Express train for the shoot, conducted at platform number five of the Mumbai Central Station- one of the major railway termini of the Western Railway.

Explaining the rationale behind their decision, WR officials said one of the two Vande Bharat trains operated on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route does not run on Wednesday. It remains parked in the station yard or the car shed for maintenance.

We allowed the use of this non-plying train for the film shoot as per policy guidelines, an official said.

He said the Railways earned around Rs 23 lakh in non-fare box revenue from the film shoot, a tad higher than Rs 20 lakh raked in by the semi-high-speed train during its single journey between Mumbai and Ahmedabad a day before.

"We often allow trains, stations, and other railway premises for commercial purposes as per the set guidelines. This is for the first time that a Vande Bharat Express train was allowed for film shooting," said Western Railway's Chief PRO Vineet Abhishek.

He said similar permissions will be given ensuring passengers are not inconvenienced.

Abhishek said film shoots of railways generate non-fare revenues which are used for developing railway assets and amenities.

"Western Railway follows a single-window system for a quick and convenient process for giving permission for commercial shootings," he said while appealing to the film fraternity to make use of railways for shooting.

Abhishek said showcasing trains in films is mutually beneficial given the realistic feel it gives to visual stories as Indians have a "positive and emotional connection" with trains.

Western Railway has earned close to Rs 1 crore in non-fare box revenue from film shooting in the current financial year. Movies like "Railwaymen", "Gaslight", "Heropanti 2", "Breathe into Shadows", "OMG 2", "Baby Doll", and "Ek Villain Returns" were some of the films shot under Western Railways besides a fee web series in recent years.