Taking passenger comfort a notch higher, the railways has readied 48 sleeping pods or capsules at Mumbai Central station for rail users. They will be launched by the end of this month.

Of the pods, 30 have been tagged as ‘classic’, seven marked for women, 10 private and one for the differently abled. Located on the first floor of the station building, the pod room is spread over 3,000 sq ft. The cheapest pod will cost INR 999 for 12 hours.

“This unique facility will be a gamechanger in the way passengers travel in India by rail, especially those on business trips. The concept will best suit frequent travellers, backpackers, single travellers, corporate executives and study groups,” said a senior IRCTC official.

First popularised by Japan, a pod hotel features a large number of small bed-sized rooms. These hotels provide basic overnight accommodation for guests who do not require or cannot afford larger, more expensive rooms at conventional hotels. “A pod hotel is compact, packed full of comfortable design, attractive features and competitively priced. The beauty of the space is the absence of excess,” an official said.

Each pod user will have access to free Wi-Fi, luggage room, toiletries, shower rooms, washrooms in common areas, whereas inside the pod the guest can avail facilities like TV, a small locker, mirror, adjustable air conditioner and air filter vents, reading lights apart from interior light, mobile charging, smoke detectors and DND Indicators.

Explaining the categories, an official said, “While classic and ladies pods will comfortably fit for one guest, a private pod will also have a private space within the room, whereas the room for the differently abled will comfortably fit two guests with space for free wheelchair movement.”