Railway waiting rooms to have TVs, beverages, light snacks

The wait for that much-delayed train might just get a tad bearable, thanks to the TVs, beverage dispensing machines and light refreshments that will soon be available at Indian Railway' waiting rooms. PTI | Jan 17, 2018,
File photo used for representational purpose

NEW DELHI: The wait for that much-delayed train might just get a tad bearable, thanks to the TVs, beverage dispensing machines and light refreshments that will soon be available at Indian Railways' waiting rooms.
As a pilot project, the Delhi Division has been asked to undertake the upgradation of its waiting rooms by providing modern facilities for passengers.

"The Delhi Division will undertake a pilot project for upgradation of waiting rooms with modern facilities for dispensing beverages, light refreshments, TVs, upgraded furniture, toilet facilities and other prescribed amenities and services under PPP mode through open bidding process," a set of instructions sent from the railways' transformation cell to the Northern Railway general manager said.

The division has been asked to conduct the project for three months and then submit a detailed assessment report to the Railway Board for consideration.
"Passengers have to wait in waiting rooms for hours sometimes, specially during specially foggy weather when trains get delayed indefinitely. So, equipping the waiting room is just to make the passengers comfortable during the long wait," a senior railway official said.

Once, the division implements the project successfully, the board might issue instructions to replicate the model across the railway network, officials said.

The Delhi Division is one of the five railway divisions under the Northern Railway zone. It's headquarter is located here and has a route of 1,386.82 km with 213 stations.

It handles around 500 passenger trains and 210 freight trains everyday.