New Delhi: Five lakh railway employees comprising front office staff, train ticket examiners (TTEs), guards, drivers and catering personnel will soon don new uniforms created by fashion designer Ritu Beri, woven around the theme of Indian culture.

Beri submitted four different sets of uniform, each with a distinct texture, to the railway ministry five days back and the public transporter will soon launch an initiative on Twitter, Facebook and the ministry’s website seeking the views of people to help it select the attire.

In the first phase, the new uniform will be issued to five lakh of 13 lakh employees of the Indian Railways.

Beri said the look of the uniform will be an ode to India and her exoticism. “The focus is to reflect modern India while respecting our deep-rooted tradition and culture, thus reflecting the glory of India. The uniforms will be Indo-Western in cut and silhouette with comfort being the most important factor," she said.

The idea behind introducing the new uniform is to instill a sense of pride and belonging among the staff rendering their services to around two crore passengers everyday, a senior official involved in the project said.

He said in the first phase front office staff, guards, drivers and catering personnel, on-board staff, station masters, loco pilots, train ticket examiners and gangmen will be given the uniform at an estimated cost about ₹ 50 crore.

The new uniform will also be given to the technical staff in workshops and production units.

Currently, railway staff including TTEs, station masters and guards wear uniforms which were designed long ago. Beri’s new collection includes sarees and T-shirts. The new dress is expected to be ready for use by the year-end, the official said, adding a common uniform can be worn for ceremonial occasions like celebration of Railway Day, sporting events and prize distribution ceremonies.

One of the designs Beri has submitted is based on tribal art, while the other is inspired by rustic coins and currency of the ‘golden period’ of the country.

The third is based on the legacy of Nawabs, while the fourth is inspired by pop art. The fourth option, classified as vibrant soul of India, reflects elements of culture, business, music and entertainment.

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