Jammu Rail Division awards contracts for water vending machines at major stations

Jammu, May 7: With the onset of the summer season, the Jammu Division of Northern Railway, in a bid to enhance passenger amenities and ensure the availability of water at its stations, through an e-auction awarded contracts for the operation of water vending machines for its four major stations on Thursday.

These stations included Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Shahid Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur and Kathua railway stations.

Giving an account of key features of the contract, Raghvender Singh, Public Relations Inspector, Jammu Railway Division stated that an annual license fee of Rs 8,00,190 was fixed for the contract, which served to boost railway revenue while strengthening passenger services.

“The total value of this entire contract over the next five years stands at Rs 47,21,121. With the operation of water vending machines, the passengers will have access to pure drinking water (RO water) at a significantly lower price compared to bottled water sold in the open market. They will be able to refill their own bottles, thereby leading to a reduction in single-use plastic waste at railway stations. Besides, given the high demand for water during the summer months, these machines will ensure an uninterrupted supply for passengers,” Singh said.

Commenting on this special initiative, the Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal, stated, “Our primary objective is to provide passengers with a comfortable and convenient travel experience. Recognising the increased demand for water during the summer, we have completed the process for the operation of these machines in a timely manner. This e-auction not only ensures transparency but also serves as a guarantee of quality drinking water for our passengers. We remain committed to expanding such passenger-centric amenities in the future.”