Government-owned infrastructure consultancy group RITES has signed an agreement with IRCTC to undertake project designs and manage the bidding process for selection of agencies that will carry out the construction work at railway stations.
Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation, railways' catering PSU, has been expanding its mandate from providing high-quality catering, tourism and ticketing services, to improving basic infrastructure and amenities for public.
IRCTC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RITES which will undertake project design and its detailed engineering in addition to managing the bidding process for selection of agencies that will carry out the construction work.
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Recently, Railways decided to hand over the management and operation of its retiring rooms and dormitories to the IRCTC with a view to making better use of the existing infrastructure.
IRCTC is gearing up to take up these facilities in a phased manner, renovate and refurbish them and make them available to passengers.
Under the MoU, IRCTC will, on a project-to-project basis, entrust RITES with tasks including planning, field investigations, design, tendering, construction and supervision, inspection and commissioning, as required, for the railway station works and allied facilities.
RITES will carry out site surveys at the railway stations and prepare master plans, designs and drawings and budget estimates for the project.
It will also prepare project specifications, tender schedule and documents for the bid process and help IRCTC in finalising the contractors.
"Our goal is to ensure the highest quality services and amenities for rail passengers and in keeping with that commitment we intend to make sure that all infrastructure upgrades and hospitality offerings are world-class," according to a senior IRCTC official.
The railway retiring rooms, for instance, will be revamped with well-furnished air conditioned rooms, quality fittings, communication systems, other amenities and professional services. The upgraded services will also be integrated with local sightseeing and tours and travel services that the IRCTC has been successfully managing.
IRCTC says it is ready to take all 408 major stations' Retiring Rooms subject to handover by the Railway.
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