In a first, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), in collaboration with the Indian Railways, has introduced the “pod concept” of bed-sized retiring rooms at the Mumbai Central Railway Station.
A pod or a capsule hotel, first developed in Japan, features a large number of small, bed-sized rooms known as capsules. These hotels provide affordable, basic, overnight accommodation for guests who do not require or cannot afford larger, more expensive rooms offered by conventional hotels.
“IRCTC in collaboration with Indian Railways has commissioned its first sophisticated and State of Art ‘POD’ concept Retiring Rooms at Mumbai Central Railway station, the first of its kind on Indian Railways...travellers will now get to experience a completely new boarding facility when they arrive at Mumbai Central,” the IRCTC said.
The contract for this project was awarded to Urban Pod Hotels through an open tender process to set-up, operate and manage the retiring rooms. The pod facility at the Mumbai Central Railway Station is spread over an area of about 3,000 sq. ft. with a mezzanine floor.
Each pod room will provide free Wi-Fi, toiletries, a place to keep luggage, and shower rooms and wash rooms in common areas. Inside the pod, the guest can avail facilities like a TV, a small locker, a mirror, an adjustable air conditioner and air filter vents, and reading lights, in addition to interior lighting, mobile charging, smoke detectors, and ‘do not disturb’ indicators.
The IRCTC said the tariffs may vary, depending on requirements, and that it will be around ₹999 per person for 12 hours, going up to ₹1,999 per person for 24 hours.
The new facility offers an inventory of 48 pods.
