NID set to give heritage railway sites a facelift

The National Institute of Design (NID) and the Ministry of Railways is set to enter into a collaboration to give a facelift to heritage railway sites across the country.

The National Rail Museum (NRM) and its heritage wing in Delhi will soon partner with NID to sign an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) wherein design students will promote railway's heritage sites in the country.

As part of the project, students of the design institute will disseminate information at rail museums through digital technology and light, sound and interactive media, designing souvenirs and outdoor signages. "The idea is to give railway museums a facelift and make them more tourist-friendly through effective design intervention, booklets and digital communication," said Pradyumna Vyas, director of the NID.

The project will cover railway lines built in the nineteenth and early twentieth century by the British in India, like in Darejeeling, Kalka-Shimla, Kangra valley, Kashmir, Nilgiri mountains in southern India and Matheran in Maharashtra.

The railway lines in Darjeeling, Nilgiri mountains and Kalka-Shimla have already been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The project will be part of the course for NID students. "Souvenirs form a big part of tourism promotion in any country. So it is a great work experience for design students to create relevant designs that showcase the same," Vyas said.

Officials from heritage wing of the Indian Railways had visited NID last month to explore the possibility of partnering with the institute.

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