As part of a programme aiming to build toilet facilities in railway stations across the country, Visakhapatnam railway station in Andhra Pradesh has got a new and improved lounge for passengers to utilise. With the help of funds from corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects, the new lounge includes shower rooms, toilets, green rooms and even a rest area.
Waltair (Visakhapatnam) Division, one of the three divisions of East Coast Railway Zone (ECoR) of the Indian Railways, constructed the lounge on platform 8 of the station. The lounge will be thrown open to the public soon and will feature a dressing room, nursing room for mothers, and will also include massage chairs.
According to reports, five toilets consisting of eight urinals and two washrooms with showers have been allocated for men while another four toilets with two washrooms and showers have been set aside for women. In addition to this, two massage chairs, one for men and one for women, have also been made available for passengers. The chairs are placed in a separate glass-covered area with air conditioning.
It has been reported that roughly 70,000 passengers travel to and from the station, with a majority of them utilising platform 8. As a result, authorities planned for the lounge to be constructed at this particular spot.
The Visakhapatnam Railway station had won the Safaigiri Award last year and is now looking to improve the facilities for travellers. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation’s Visakh Refinery reportedly contributed Rs 49.5 lakh towards building a modern toilet block at the station under its CSR activities.
In addition to being bestowed with the Safaigiri Award, the railway station was also declared the best tourist-friendly station in the state by the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority.