Guwahati, Dec 18 (IANS) In a major initiative to enhance passenger comfort and station amenities, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has upgraded the retiring rooms and dormitory at Guwahati Railway Station under the Lumding Division, equipping them with world-class facilities, officials said on Thursday.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the upgraded facilities were made operational in the presence of the General Manager of NFR, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, along with other senior Railway officials, reaffirming NFR’s commitment towards passenger-centric infrastructure development.

The Retiring Room complex, located on the first floor of the station building, now offers a significantly enhanced stay experience for railway users.

According to Sharma, the accommodation comprises nine Retiring Rooms, including seven two-bedded rooms and two five-bedded rooms, along with a 12-bedded dormitory.

As part of the up-gradation process, 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.

The CPRO said that the initiative 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 enhanced facilities reflect NFR’s continued focus on delivering better passenger services by optimal utilisation of Railway assets and sustainable revenue growth, in line with Indian Railways’ broader modernisation objectives.

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, up-gradation, 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.

–IANS

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