BENGALURU: Relax comfortably and catch forty winks while you wait for your train. Cosy sleeping pods are set to make their debut at the busy Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal (SMVT) at Baiyappanahalli and KSR Bengaluru Railway Station. These air-conditioned compact beds are fully closed and have charging points.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Bengaluru division, Krishna Chaitanya told TNIE, “We have just issued contracts for setting up state-of-the-art sleeping pods at two stations in our division, to offer a new hospitality experience to passengers. Apart from adding amenities at the station, we stand to earn an annual revenue of Rs 8.9 lakh from the contract at KSR Bengaluru City, and Rs 9.8 lakh from SMVT.” The pods would come up on 250 sqft, and will be installed in the concourse area at the main entrance of KSR Station, and above the booking office at SMVT.
Both contracts have been awarded to Brandmidas Hospitality and Aviation Services Private Limited through open e-auction as a non-fare revenue contract, he said. “The model, if successful, will be replicated at major stations in Bengaluru division,” Chaitanya added.
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited operates such sleeping pods at New Delhi and Mumbai railway stations.
Preeth Chengappa, director and chief operating officer of the agency, which has installed such pods at Chennai and Tirupati airports, said their sleeping zones were named ‘Sleepzzzo’. “We will launch them at both stations by February-end or early March. We plan to have four pods at KSR Station and six at SMVT Station initially. Based on demand, they would be scaled up. The rates are still being finalised but they will be friendly on the pocket,” he said.
They have some space for baggage but heavy luggage needs to be placed in cloak rooms, the director added.