The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is going to launch its first pod hotel in Mumbai soon. The unique Japanese style pod concept stay facility is expected to be opened for passengers at the Mumbai Central railway station by the end of this month, according to reports.

IRCTC has tied up with Urban Pod Pvt Limited to provide this retiring room facility for passengers. This will be the first of its kind offering from Indian Railways in the country and passengers on a tight budget can get the benefit.

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Pods are small capsule hotels which house a large number of small bed-sized rooms. Each room could be just big enough to fit in a bed. The concept, first developed in Japan, has been gradually gaining popularity in other countries because of its affordability. The pod stays come with all modern facilities and are suitable for overnight stays.

The passengers are expected to receive basic facilities like free wi-fi, luggage room, shared toilets, TV, small locker, mirror, air-conditioner and charging slots, among others, at the pod hotel of the IRCTC. The pod hotel will have three classes -- Classic, Ladies only and Private Pods. There will also be dedicated pods for differently-abled passengers.

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Initially, the facility will be launched with 48 pods, according to IRCTC sources. There will be 30 classic pods, seven ladies only pods and 10 private pods.

Though there is no information about the booking price of these pods, the cheapest pod is expected to be available at Rs 999 for 12 hours, according to reports.

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In February 2019, then Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had announced about the pod hotel at the Mumbai Central railway station. Sharing a video Goyal had tweeted, “The country’s first POD Hotel will be built at Mumbai Central Railway Station. Due to the special design of this hotel offering world-class facilities in a low budget, more passengers can be accommodated in limited space.”

बदलता देश, बदलती रेलवेः देश का पहला POD Hotel मुंबई सैंट्रल रेलवे स्टेशन पर बनाया जायेगा, कम बजट में विश्वस्तरीय सुविधायें देने वाले इस होटल में विशेष डिजाइन के कारण कम जगह में भी अधिक यात्रियों को ठहराया जा सकेगा। pic.twitter.com/O7uOmYeJAr

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 20, 2019

Urban Pod Pvt Limited was handed over the site to build and operate the Pod concept retiring room facility at the Mumbai Central railway station in February this year. The private operator will manage the facility for nine years in association with IRCTC.

(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)

First Published:Oct 25, 2021 7:20 PM IST