Indian Railways largest AC waiting hall opened at Patna Junction station! Piyush Goyal-led Railway Ministry has given a big gift to its passengers by opening the largest fully air-conditioned waiting hall at the busy Patna Junction railway station in the state of Bihar. The Patna junction station’s waiting hall is unique in several ways as it has been equipped with several modern passenger-friendly amenities and been redeveloped at a grand scale. According to the Railway Ministry, the Patna Junction waiting hall is the first such waiting hall opened across the country which can accommodate as many as over 500 passengers at a time. The waiting room has been equipped with facilities in such a way that passengers can wait here for a long time, irrespective of the class of train ticket. The passengers who have a platform ticket can also enter the waiting room.
Nilesh Kumar, Station Director, Patna Junction has said that this waiting room is unique as the entire power consumption of the hall is being done only through the use of solar energy. In this way, the waiting hall is environment-friendly in terms of its power consumption and energy requirements.
Some of the main features of the largest Indian Railways AC waiting hall are:
- The AC waiting hall has been built on an area of 7500 square metres at the Patna junction station.
- Seven 65 inch HD television screens have been fitted at the waiting hall. These digital screens not only provide train-related crucial information such train timings, platform information etc, but also display entertainment-related content for the interest and engagement of passengers. These digital screens are switched on 24*7 at the hall.
- Free RailTel RailWire WiFi along with mobile and laptop charging points have also been made available at the hall
- LED lights have been installed for the illumination and lighting of the entire hall.
- Steel benches, furniture as well as ceiling fans have also been provided for the comfort and convenience of passengers
- The walls of the hall have been adorned with paintings and traditional artwork representing the local folk culture and tradition of the state of Bihar. The paintings reflect the activities of the famous Chhath Puja which is symbolic of the age-old festive celebration of the city. The walls have also been adorned with bright and colorful artwork reflecting the Madhubani culture by the local folk artists. Apart from this, cleanliness of the hall is being taken care of by the station staff all throughout the day.