Mumbai: If all goes well, by end of the year, Mumbaikars will be able to relax in premium lounges at railway stations in the city, including Mumbai Central, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Bandra Terminus. Though being planned for months, the project was delayed when the chosen contractor did not submit a proper proposal.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will now issue fresh tenders next month.
The premier lounges will provide facilities such as Wi-Fi, porter services, cab booking services, meals, a shopping corner, washrooms and changing rooms on a par with five-star hotels, a foot massage facility, wheelchairs, fax machines, laptops, lockers and television. Passengers will be charged ₹400 for three hours in the lounge. The lounges will be similar to the one that is already operational at the New Delhi railway station.
According to an IRCTC official, the corporation carried out the tendering process in November 2016. “But after we finalised the contractor, our officials were not satisfied with his presentation and work. So we cancelled the tender and we are reissuing it next month,” the official said. He said if all had gone according to the plan, work would have already started.
The IRCTC is trying to set up lounges in line with those at airports. Apart from Mumbai Central, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Bandra Terminus, the corporation had also proposed a lounge at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST). But as CST is a heritage building, the railway board did not grant permission to do so. “We are still waiting for the board’s permission for a lounge at CST as there is a huge number of passengers demanding for such a facility,” the official added.
At Mumbai Central, the 3,000-sq.ft. lounge will be constructed on the ground and first floor. The lounge will be able to accomodate 60-70 passengers at a time.
“In New Delhi, people wait for an hour or more to get inside the lounge. We are hoping for the best feedback from the passengers. This would be a premium facility provided to the passengers of Mumbai,” said Pinakin Morawala, the IRCTC public relations officer. The construction of one lounge is estimated to cost nearly ₹30 to ₹40 lakh.
The IRCTC also conducted a survey before finalising the project. “We found that there were [many] passengers who were ready to pay more, but needed a place to relax and work from as well,” said the IRCTC official, adding that the feedback from passengers who had used the New Delhi lounge was good.
Around 50 such lounges have been proposed at railway stations all over the country, including in Pune, Surat and Ahmedabad. They will be set up on a build, operate and tranfer basis.
