Kolkata, Feb 28 Retiring room and dormitory services will remain suspended at the Howrah railway station - one of the busiest in the country - for renovation, Eastern Railway (ER) has announced.
Officials have not mentioned from when these services will resume.
"It has been decided to suspend Retiring Room and Dormitory services at Howrah station with immediate effect due to major renovation work being carried out at the facility. This suspension will remain in effect until further notice to facilitate smooth execution of the renovation process," a statement released by ER said on Friday evening.
Howrah is a Grade A+ station under Indian Railways with nearly 958 trains originating from it. These include daily mail/express trains, weekly, bi-weekly and tri-weekly trains as well as suburban ones.
Being the largest railway terminus in the eastern and northeastern part of the country, it is a favoured destination for many. People often travel from the northeastern states to Kolkata by air and then take a train from Howrah to locations in the country's northern, western and southern parts.
The retiring room and dormitory facility are of great help to such passengers who wish to spend the night at the station and then board a train the next day. Many people consider this a safer way to spend the night, rather than checking into a hotel close to the station, particularly when traveling with family.
"We realise that people will be inconvenienced. However, renovation work is also important to provide better amenities to passengers. After all, they pay for the rooms and dormitories. People have an option though. They can book and check into rooms that are available at our lounge, run by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), within the station premises. These air-conditioned rooms offer modern, hotel-like facilities with a lounge and food court downstairs," an ER official said.
With railway stations like Howrah introducing services like 24x7 lounges, with well maintained rooms for families, the era of retiring rooms and dormitories may well be on their way out.
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