Passengers travelling from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) will soon be able to wait in a world class lounge which is being set up at the station.
The Central Railway (CR) has awarded a contract to build, operate and maintain the lounge. The contractor will pay the CR ₹8 lakh per annum for the same. “The contractor will refurbish the existing air-conditioned (AC) waiting room and provide modern facilities like Wi-Fi and television screens,” a senior CR official said.
Passengers with reserved tickets will be allowed access for a charge of ₹10 per hour. The existing AC waiting room is currently situated along the corridor that connects platform 18 with main entrance to CSMT. CR officials said the lounge could be accessed by all passengers as it is centrally located. The new waiting lounge will also contain a screen with the trains arriving at various platforms. The new lounge is expected to be thrown open by the end of January.
CR officials said that typically waiting rooms were built and maintained by the Railways and were additional burden on its coffers. Since the Railways are currently facing a funds crunch due to a dip in revenue, the scheme is being undertaken under the non-fare revenue bracket. This is the latest in a series of initiatives of the CR to shore up its non-fare revenue.
“Our aim is to provide better passenger amenities at our stations. If the model is successful we will explore setting up similar lounges at other stations where long-distance passenger trains halt or terminate,” Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, CR, said.
