Guwahati, Dec. 18: Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has upgraded the retiring rooms and dormitory facilities at Guwahati Railway Station in a major initiative aimed at improving passenger comfort and station amenities.
The upgraded facilities were made operational in the presence of NF Railway 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 rooms (with two beds) and two rooms (with five beds), along with a 12-bed dormitory.
“As part of the upgrade, 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,” a statement issued by NFR on Thursday said.
The initiative also 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,” the statement said.
Officials said the enhanced facilities reflect NFR’s continued focus on delivering better passenger services by optimal utilisation of railway assets and sustainable revenue growth.
“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, upgrade, 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,” it said.
