My Experience Staying at Indian Railways Retiring Rooms
Finding Clean and Comfortable Accommodation
Indian Railways offers retiring rooms at major railway stations across the country to provide comfortable accommodation for travellers. While booking these rooms can sometimes be difficult due to limited availability, they offer a good value alternative to hotels near stations. From my own experience staying at the retiring room in Hatia station, I found the room to be clean, well-maintained and offered basic amenities for a reasonable price of just Rs. 170.
A Simple Yet Pleasant Stay
The double bed room I booked had freshly laundered bedsheets and pillow covers. I was also provided with a blanket for extra warmth. While facilities like high-speed internet and smart TVs are not expected given the basic nature of these rooms, the room met my needs for a simple overnight stay. Water supply was available whenever needed and the washroom was functional with adequate lighting. Overall, it was a pleasant experience to spend a night away from home in clean surrounds at an affordable price point.
Booking Process is Straightforward
Booking a retiring room is convenient through the official IRCTC website. All that is required is a valid PNR number for a confirmed or RAC train ticket. Rooms can be secured at either the source or destination station depending on travel plans. Various room types from single, double to dorm-style shared accommodations are offered at rates varying by location and amenities like air conditioning. The online booking portal makes the process easy without any hassles.
Pictures Convey Cleanliness Standards
To help prospective travellers get a sense of retiring room facilities on offer, photographs on the booking portal provide transparency. The pictures I have shared give a glimpse of the immaculately maintained room interior, bed, washroom and other basic fittings at the Hatia station location. This helped me make an informed choice and address any cleanliness concerns while booking sight unseen online. Sharing real photos sets the right customer service standards and builds trust in the facilities.
Overall Experience Met Expectations
For someone looking for temporary overnight lodging near a station with necessity-based requirements, these retiring rooms provide good value. While not offering amenities of luxury hotels, they deliver on cleanliness, orderliness and accessibility - the three most important factors for budget travellers. My stay matched the experience reviews and left me satisfied with Indian Railways’ service. I would surely recommend these to others in similar situations seeking convenient station accommodation.
Useful Round-the-Clock Facilities
One appreciable aspect is the continuous water supply maintained by staff even through late hours. This ensures travellers get access to basic amenities whenever needed. Also, being located inside station premises brings the added advantage of safety and security. In an emergency, help is never far from staff on duty. Overall, retiring rooms offer travellers reliable, hassle-free shelter and essentials for short-term stays in a familiar railway environment.
Convenience Outweighs Rare Glitches
Though not always simple to book these rooms due to limited stock, the convenience of securing confirmed accommodation at stations outweighs rare instances when a room may not be available. Station vicinity provides easy access to both departure platforms and transport connections. Rather than spending more time and money exploring uncertain options nearby, retiring rooms offer travellers certainty of affordable shelter close to the railway system. Any minor issues are far outweighed by this noteworthy benefit.
