A compelling case for pragmatism
When Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in Macau, the world’s gambling capital, the air was thick with anticipation. Macau,often dubbed the “Las Vegas of the East,” is much more than a beacon of wealth and opulence.
Passengers at the New Complex of Howrah Station would be able to enjoy their favourite cuisine by the side of the picturesque Hooghly in the comforts of an AC coach. The Eastern Railway launched an executive lounge at New Complex of Howrah railway station and Rail Coach Restaurant at Bapu Uddyan that were inaugurated by Union minister of state for ports, shipping and waterways ministry Shantanu Thakur, today.
For the Rail Coach Restaurant, an abandoned bogie of the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) has been transformed into a 60-seater restaurant by the railways. The riverside restaurant offers Chinese, Indian, Tandoori and Continental cuisine in a state-of-the-art air-conditioned coach. Given the popularity of Vande Bharat trains, the exterior of the train has been developed like that of the semi-high speed premium train. In addition to the restaurant, the zonal railway also threw open an executive lounge, spread over an area of more than 848.97 square meters.
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The lounge, according to the Eastern Railway, offers the comforts of an AC waiting hall having luxurious sitting and resting, conference room, baby care room, food court and so on. The lounge also has the facility of separate dormitories for men and women along with 23 AC deluxe rooms having attached toilet facilities and laptop station along with a bathing facility among passenger amenities.
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The charges for seating at the executive lounge per person are Rs 50 for an hour while that for the conference room is Rs 500 per hour for six persons. “The area has been cleaned while a facility has been developed for passengers where there are several rooms, dormitories and so on,” said the general manager of the Eastern Railway, Amar Prakash Dwivedi.
“In summer, passe ngers would be able to wait while enjoying comfor table seating in AC and the view of the Ganges. We are also planning to construct toilets in the parking area. In this manner, the place would be beautified and the security arrangements would also get enhanced,” added Mr Dwivedi.
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