AC waiting room at Vadodara Railway Station commercialized

Vadodara: The air-conditioned waiting room at Vadodara railway station is now being operated on a paid basis. Passengers wishing to use the facility are required to pay ₹10 per hour for adults and ₹5 per hour for children.

Earlier, passengers holding AC class tickets could use the waiting room free of charge, with no restriction on the duration of their stay. The facility was particularly useful when trains were delayed for extended periods.

The waiting room has now been handed over to a private contractor, who collects the usage fee from passengers. Another significant change is that the facility is no longer restricted to AC class ticket holders. Passengers travelling in general and sleeper classes are also permitted to use the air-conditioned waiting room upon payment of the prescribed charges.

The change has raised concerns among some travellers that passengers of premium trains such as Vande Bharat Express, Rajdhani Express and Shatabdi Express may find the waiting room full during peak hours, as it is now open to all categories of passengers.

Separately, the Railways has also introduced a Railway Lounge on Platform No. 1, offering facilities including bed-resting pods, shower rooms, changing rooms, digital lockers and food services. The lounge can be used at a starting charge of ₹200 per hour. DeshGujarat