The sleeping pods set up near the gate no. 3 on platform no. 1 of Visakhapatnam railway station.
| Photo Credit: V. RAJU
A ‘sleeping pod’ facility (capsule hotel), a first of its kind in East Coast Railway (ECoR) Zone, was inaugurated at Visakhapatnam railway station for the convenience of transit passengers, solo women travellers and tourists, on Thursday.
Waltair Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Lalit Bohra told the media that the initiative was taken up due to consistent demand for accommodation facilities at Visakhapatnam station as it caters to a diverse range of passengers coming to the city for medical treatment, tourism, education and employment.
Waltair Division has implemented the project on a pilot basis, taking a cue from the model implemented in some of the metropolitan cities.
The project was secured by Sri Mahalakshmi Agency through the e-auction for five years. The facility has been set up near gate no. 3 on the platform no. 1 towards the main entry of the Railway station.
The sleeping pods have 73 single beds, 15 double beds and 18 beds for women in a dedicated hall with separate wash rooms and a dressing room.
The amenities include free wi-fi, hot water round the clock, an in-house snack bar and travel desk for assistance.
Tariff plan
The single bed sleeping pod will be available for ₹200 for three hours and beyond three hours up to 24 hours, the charge will be ₹400. The double bed will be available at ₹300 for three hours and ₹600 per 24 hours.
Replying to queries, Mr. Bohra said that apart from bona fide passengers, other visitors could also use the facility based on availability.
Station redevelopment
On redevelopment of Visakhapatnam railway station, the DRM said a Letter of Intent (LoI) has already been issued and the work has started.
A 72-metre air concourse would have shops. Discussions are on with the Metro Rail authorities for integration of the metro station with the city railway station.
The air concourse would provide direct connectivity between the railway station and metro station for seamless connectivity. In other words, the train passengers need not go out of the railway station to catch the metro and vice versa.
Published – July 11, 2025 04:15 am IST
