The online reservation counter for railway retiring rooms at Ranchi station. Picture by Hardeep Singh

Ranchi, Nov. 1: The online booking facility at Ranchi station for railway retiring rooms has come as a boon for passengers, who prefer not to waste money on hotels and other accommodations for a short stay during trips to various cities.

The counter for online booking of railway retiring rooms, which was introduced by South Eastern Railway at Ranchi station on July 1, has been witnessing overwhelming response from passengers travelling to cities like Visakhapatnam, Delhi, Mumbai and Allahabad.

Till date, around 75 passengers have booked retiring rooms— accommodations on station premises that are rented out to passengers for 24 to 48 hours — at various destinations. The cheap rates — the starting price is Rs 20 for 24 hours in a dormitory with only a bed and no other facility — being the main draw.

Those looking for a more comfortable stay can book the AC rooms for Rs 350 to Rs 750 (the rates vary depending on the destination) while the non-AC rooms are available for Rs 200 to Rs 250.

From Ranchi, retiring rooms can be booked at 67 major railway stations across India, including Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Vara-nasi, Gwalior, Guwahati and Bilaspur.

No wonder, the passengers thanked the railways for starting this easy booking facility in Ranchi.

“During his first visit to Delhi, my cousin was searching for a cheap accommodation for 48 hours. I suggested him to opt for a retiring room at the station as he was going to an unknown place. Instead of staying in an expensive hotel, he opted for a retiring room for 48 hours that saved him time and money. Now, I am doing the same for myself. I have some work in Delhi for a day and two and will be staying in a railway retiring room,” said Murari Singh, a marketing executive.

Another passenger, Rajni Kumari, a social worker travelling to Visakhapatnam, said she also preferred opting to stay on the station premises as it was a relatively safer option.

“We are travelling to unknown places and hence, it’s better to stay in government property. Besides, if we can book our train ticket and room in one go with just a click of the mouse, why not avail the facility,” Rajni said.

Senior divisional commercial manager of South Eastern Railway Neeraj Kumar pointed out that while Ranchi station itself doesn’t have any retiring room, this service for stations having the facility was benefiting the passengers a lot.

“This is the first time that Ranchi station is providing such a facility and it’s very useful for passengers who are getting electronic-generated confirmation slips after a room is booked. But this facility is only available on confirmed tickets,” he added.

People can also book retiring rooms online from other stations in the state capital, namely Hatia and Murhi, where the service was launched on September 25.