The Mysore division of South Western Railway is exploring sale of commercial space to advertisers to boost its revenue, the bulk of which is from freight and passenger earnings.
Rajkumar Lal, Divisional Railway Manager, told presspersons here on Wednesday that the Railways has land in prime places across the country, which will be sold to advertisers at competitive prices.
This will be a win-win situation for the Railways and the advertisers. The Railways will also use a small portion of the commercial hoardings to spread its message on hygiene, safety and security. Such land is available in Mysore, Hassan, Arsikere, Davangere, Shimoga and other major towns and cities in the Mysore division, he said.
Mr. Lal said the commercial hoardings will be modular, keeping in mind the heritage status of Mysore and to ensure that the hoardings blend with local aesthetics.
In addition to sale of prime space, the division will also promote vinyl wrapping of trains so that advertisers can reach out to millions of people. “Our trains not only pass through different places in the Mysore division but also across the country. Hence the advertisers have an opportunity to reach out to millions of people at a competitive price,” he said.
The available land at level-crossing gates where vehicles stop will also be up put for sale. Mr. Lal said the Railways were also open to a quid pro quo with the advertisers and they could sell commercial space in return for services such as landscaping the area, maintenance of premises and so on. However, there will be stringent terms and conditions for advertisers to adhere to norms and ensure that the aesthetics of the place was not vitiated, said Mr. Lal. The Railways hopes to earn Rs. 3.5 crore during the current financial year through this, he said.
Earlier, Mr. Lal launched the commercial services of Shrishti Creations, which have installed 30 LED screens at vantage points in the Mysore Railway Station. This will not only beam information pertaining to arrival, departure, late running of trains but also commercials and entertainment programmes. The Railways has received a licence fee but there are no other financial implications involved, he said.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager K. Anil Kumar and ADRM Rakesh Gupta were present.
