IRCTC to maintain retiring rooms

Patna: The railways has decided to hand over its retiring rooms and dormitories to the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ( IRCTC ) for better upkeep and services to guests.

The railways has 2,000 and odd retiring rooms located at 600-odd stations in the country. An agreement involving 408 such retiring rooms located at ‘A1’ and ‘A’ category stations, including Patna Junction, is likely to be signed soon between the railways and the IRCTC.

At least 50 of such retiring rooms are located at stations falling under the Hajipur-headquartered East Central Railway (ECR) zone. The IRCTC has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) proposals from reputed service providers for their maintenance, expansion and provisions of various facilities.

According to IRCTC’s CMD A K Manocha, the corporation intends to engage service providers of repute to make investments for providing upgraded services to the passengers staying at these retiring rooms. “The existing complex can be expanded... More rooms can be constructed,” he said.

Manocha also said the old retiring rooms would be refurbished under the renovate-operate-transfer (ROT) model. The facilities will include AC, TV and telephone/intercom in rooms/dormitories, fire-fighting equipment and public address systems. Water purifier and Wi-Fi connectivity will also be provided, he said and added the furniture, fixtures and fittings would also be upgraded.

Retiring rooms currently have AC and non-AC rooms with attached and common bathroom and facilities like lockers, food and beverages. There are also AC and non-AC dormitories with common bathrooms. The retiring rooms are booked at railway station counters and online at www.irctc.co.in.