In order to address the mounting challenges, particularly sanitary issues, Pakistan Railways has accelerated the upgrading work by engaging the private sector to improve services in passenger trains as well as important railway stations.
According to a Ministry source who spoke to APP, “the department was of the opinion that the cleanliness-related services in trains and at major stations, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Quetta, Peshawar, Khanewal, Sukkur, Sahiwal, Multan, and Bahawalpur, were not sufficient.”
The hygienic conditions at stations and on trains should be improved, he claimed, which would also help passengers’ confidence in the department if private sector services were engaged quickly.
According to the source, Khawaja Saad Rafique, the minister for railways, also directed the officials to speed up efforts to implement a strategy that would provide consistency to the layout and signboards of the stalls at the main train stations.
He claimed that Saad Rafique was also eager to quickly formulate a plan in an effort to bring consistency to the appearance of every stall.
It is important to note that Pakistan Railways opted to work with the private sector last year in order to boost profits by enhancing services at key stations.
The maintenance of restrooms and other cleaning services at platforms, waiting areas, and yards were among the services that needed to be addressed, he continued.
In response to a query, he stated that Pakistan Railways has also begun upgrading work at five of the country’s major railway stations to contemporary lines in order to better serve passengers and assist the department in generating more income.
According to him, the goal of upgrading the rail hubs—which include Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Quetta—is to facilitate the passengers and turn them into commercial hubs for business activity.
According to the source, the government was adopting a number of measures to enhance Pakistan Railways’ performance and would give the general public the best services possible.