NFR boosts passenger comfort with upgraded retiring rooms at Guwahati Railway Station
Northeast Frontier Railway has modernised dormitory and retiring rooms at Guwahati station, while boosting non-fare revenue with zero maintenance cost.
A file image of Guwahati Railway station. (Photo:X)
Guwahati, Dec 18: As part of the initiative aimed at improving passenger comfort and station amenities, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has upgraded the retiring rooms and dormitory facilities at the Guwahati railway station.
The upgraded facilities were made operational on Wednesday in the presence of NFR General Manager Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, along with other senior railway officials.
“The retiring room complex, located on the first floor of the station building, now offers a significantly enhanced stay experience for railway users. The accommodation comprises nine retiring rooms, including seven two-bedded rooms and two five-bedded rooms, along with a 12 bedded dormitory. As part of the upgradation process, all rooms have been converted into fully air-conditioned units, equipped with more comfortable beds and improved interiors, ensuring a modern, hygienic and convenient environment for rail passengers during transit,” NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said.
He added that the initiative marks a substantial improvement in non-fare revenue generation for the Railways.
“Under the new arrangement, NFR is projected to earn Rs 1.94 crore over the next five-year contract period, while incurring zero expenditure towards maintenance, operation, or renovation. This represents a significant increase over the earlier in-house management model, which involved recurring operational costs and lower net earnings", Sharma said.
"The enhanced facilities reflect NFR’s continued focus on delivering better passenger services by optimal utilization of Railway assets and sustainable revenue growth, in line with Indian Railways’ broader modernization objectives,” he added.
He added, “In order to achieve these improvements efficiently, the services of the retiring rooms and dormitory have been outsourced and entrusted, through an open tender process with responsibilities for renovation, upgradation, management, and maintenance. The contract has been awarded for a period of five years. All renovation work has been carried out at no cost to the Railways, with complete operational responsibility resting with the service provider.”