There’s a new go-to destination in Assam, and it’s not just the tea gardens. The Vistadome coach is a fresh addition to the state’s transportation system and has managed to attract the public eye.
The big window panels and glass-fitted ceilings give way to panoramic views of the mountains as the train snakes its way through the hills of Assam. The 40-odd passengers travelling in the Vistadome coach on Wednesday morning knew that they were in for a special ride but still remained struck by the scenery as the landscape transformed from the lush plains to the hills.
They spun the chairs around to face the window panels and remained fixated, while the few children onboard the train could be heard exclaiming in delight.
The Vistadome service from Guwahati to Haflong was the first of four railway services started by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in the past few months. Recently, two more Vistadome train services were introduced between the Guwahati-Naharlagun and the Naharlagun-Tinsukia routes.
Anshul Gupta, general manager of NFR, explained that the services were started in order to boost tourism in the Northeast, especially after the pandemic. “We were not only thinking of how to revive this industry but also the economy of the state in local areas. Then we came up with this idea because of these Vistadome services,” he said.
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‘Like travelling without a wall’
It seldom is the case that a nearly six-hour-long journey on a train feels less tiring. But the ever-changing landscapes made for a fascinating watch all through the journey, which started at 6:45 am.
Sights of a misty, early morning sky, marked by smoke from the oil refineries in Guwahati’s Maligaon area gave way to rice fields. With the harvesting season gone, only brown stocks lined the fields.
A few low-lying hills stood on the horizon. By 11 am, the train had made its way through the hills — dipping, rising, and curving at points. The most exhilarating bits were the five tunnels when the bogey became pitch-dark. To accentuate the excitement, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) staff aboard switched off all the lights as the train entered the tunnels. The loud ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the passengers echoed through the coach just as the train exited the tunnel, and the light suddenly streamed in through the darkness.
For 16-year-old Anish Bhagawati, a resident of Guwahati, the experience was altogether a novel one. “We came to know about this train from the papers and wanted to come on it. I think it’s really nice, the fact that you can move the chairs is really great.” He added, “I would prefer travelling like this because it lets you connect with the environment better. You can see what’s going on — look up and see the skies. It feels like you are travelling without a wall.”
Nilakshi Devi, another passenger and a business owner in Guwahati, similarly exclaimed, “We have been planning to come for many days but have been unable to get tickets since we got to know that Vistadome has started running. We came as soon as we got the tickets. It has a very nice view because of the large windows.”
Anshul Gupta also added that ever since the services were launched, the coaches have been running at 90 per cent occupancy. On Wednesday too, almost all of the 44 seats in the Vistadome coach were occupied.
“Most of the trips are full, and all the services are booked up for one month. There’s been tremendous response from the public,” he said.
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How the Vistadome is boosting tourism
The addition of this single coach on the Guwahati-Haflong route has had a significant effect on tourism in the latter city—a small and sleepy town that is the headquarters of the tribal-dominated district of Dima Hasao in Assam. Most of the passengers aboard said that this was the first time they were visiting Haflong. “The Vistadome is the only reason we are (here),” Devi said.
Business owners at Haflong say that the footfall has been “unprecedented”.
“A lot of tourists have been coming in ever since the train (service) began. In fact, we are even facing difficulties now in accommodating these tourists. This has never happened before,” said Amrit Kemprai, owner of the Hamsmaidi Homestay in Haflong. He added, “Every day we get 15 to 20 people, and we have a total of 12 rooms. We sometimes have more than 30 people.”
Umesh Kumar Roy, general manager at The Landmark Hotel, said that there has definitely been an increase in footfall on Wednesdays and Saturdays when the service is functional. “We are seeing more customers in our restaurant on these days. But they usually stay for a few hours and leave for Guwahati in the evening on the return train.”
Talking about the increase in tourists to Haflong, Anshul Gupta said, “The hotels in Haflong are reportedly running at full capacity due to the introduction of this service. Through these kinds of tourism initiatives and more, we should be able to earn a surplus of Rs 50 crore in the financial year.”
The next time you are around Guwahati, not having a trip on the Vistadome coach in your itinerary would be a loss, even if you have to toe into a half-forgotten district in the state.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)