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Coming soon: Airport comfort at Rly station
THE RAILWAYS promises to give its passengers the comfort of air travel, at least before the start of a train journey. As part of the plan, the Lucknow division of Northern Railway has decided to introduce an executive waiting hall for the first AC and executive chair car passengers. The facility will be on the lines of those at airports.
THE RAILWAYS promises to give its passengers the comfort of air travel, at least before the start of a train journey.
As part of the plan, the Lucknow division of Northern Railway has decided to introduce an executive waiting hall for the first AC and executive chair car passengers. The facility will be on the lines of those at airports.
The proposed waiting hall will be situated near a restaurant, where dormitories are in existence.
Addressing mediapersons on completion of a year in office, divisional railway manager R K Gupta said the plan would be completed in another year. He said the waiting rooms situated on the first floor would be shifted to the ground floor and the dormitories to the first floor. Apart from the executive waiting hall, there will be separate ladies’, sleeper and first class waiting rooms.
Also, he said a separate VVIP lounge would be carved out of the station manager’s room so that the official can do his work undisturbed. At present, VVIP passengers find place in the SM’s office. Among other improvements, the DRM said an additional 50 metallic seats in a set of three would be added to the current arrangement. The length of platforms will be increased so that a rake of 24 coaches can be accommodated. Platforms 6 and 7 will be the first to be subjected to the change, he added.
He blamed the civic authorities for waterlogging on platforms. The DRM said railway officials were constantly in touch with the municipal commissioner to find a solution to the problem. About the results in the last quarter, Gupta said there was a 10 per cent increase in passenger-travel and 6 per cent in revenue.
He said Rs 2.14 crore were realised form defaulters during drives against ticketless travellers in the last quarter.
He said a fast food joint would be opened by the end of the month, and a cyber café was planned near the restaurant.
