Gorakhpur railway station’s pod rooms to be ready by Jan end

This facility is expected to be inaugurated by the end of the month, possibly coinciding with the historical Pran Pratishtha event at Lord Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

After Mumbai Central Railway station, Gorakhpur is set to become the first railway station in Uttar Pradesh to feature pods—bed-sized retiring rooms with all basic amenities and modern facilities. This facility is expected to be inaugurated by the end of the month, possibly coinciding with the historical Pran Pratishtha event at Lord Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

For Representation Only: Kay Wilson poses in her pod in the UP (st)ART house in Los Angeles, California, on October 24, 2019. (AFP)

Pankaj Kumar Singh, chief public relations officer of North Eastern Railway (NER), stated that the construction of these compact cabin-like retiring rooms, in collaboration with Indian Railways Catering and Tourism (IRCTC), is in the final stages and is anticipated to be completed by the end of January 2024.

The pod concept, introduced recently in India, was first implemented in a pod hotel at Central Mumbai railway station. This initiative aims to provide passengers on long routes with a comfortable and affordable stay after their exhaustive journeys. Passengers boarding or disembarking from trains at platforms 7, 8, and 9 at Gorakhpur railway station will be the primary beneficiaries.

Of note, many long-route trains from Bihar to Delhi operate from platforms 8 and 9, located at the other end of Gorakhpur railway station. This presents an opportunity for passengers to enjoy a short or overnight stay in these capsule rooms.

Covering a spacious area of 653 square metres, this hall is equipped with WiFi and other modern amenities. Officials expect that these facilities will contribute to increased revenue for the railway, as Gorakhpur Railway station serves as a gateway for pilgrimages to Ayodhya Dham.