BENGALURU: You no longer need to hang around aimlessly or sit bored at the railway platform as you wait for a delayed train. Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station has got a new passenger convenience on Platform One – a massage facility.

The staffers at D Robotic Massage are busy fielding inquiries and explaining the kind of relaxation that the automated equipment, which provides full body as well as foot massages, provide to anyone who cares to stop by. Surprised passengers and visitors to the station, many of whom are coming across such machines for the first time, seem to be delighted with it.

The stall has been launched by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC), a wing created recently by the Indian Railways to revamp important railway stations. KSR is the only one in South Western Railway selected under the project.

Sridhar Vedula, general manager, IRSDC, said, “This is just one of the programmes we have started here. The revenue from it will be used to improve the station.”When CE stopped by at the zone, which was launched on May 1, painter P Vijay Kumar was relishing a foot massage. Kumar had come to see off his relatives who were travelling to Chennai by Brindavan Express, which had got delayed. He said, “I was walking around the platform and saw this place. I have never seen anything like this. Since the poster said it cost just `60, I decided to try out the foot massage machine after checking if it was not anything dangerous.” He added, “My job is physically demanding. But now it feels as if the constant pain in my feet has vanished.”

Another customer trying out the foot massage was Shantha Kumar, a driver at Command Hospital. “I felt so much relief after 10 minutes,” he said, adding that he never expected to find such a facility at the railway station.   

People are also trying out the facility since they find the cost –  Rs 120 for a 10-minute body massage and Rs 60 for a foot massage – affordable. The outlet plans to launch a fish massage for the feet soon, which will be priced at Rs 120 for 10 minutes.

“About 30 customers come for the foot massage, while at least 15 people opt for the body massage every day,” Gautham, an employee of RoboTouch, which has got the contract by the Railways to run the stall, said.

“While many women get their feet massaged, only men have chosen body massage so far. This is only the beginning. We expect the demand to rise once it becomes well-known,” he added.