RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Railways (PR) is all set to upgrade and commercialize the Victoria-era Rawalpindi Railway Station aimed at facilitating the passengers and making it the business hub, considering its location in the centre of business activities.
“The Rawalpindi Railway Station was built a century ago in a British style, the value addition to the station and its surroundings would make it commercially viable and would generate significant revenues for all the stakeholders involved”, an official in Divisional Superintendent office said.
He said the upgrade was already decided in a meeting that reviewed the upgradation as well as commercialization plan of Rawalpindi Railway Station, and observed that the railway stations will remain important commercial hubs in the future, earning substantial revenue and generating economic opportunities at a large scale.
The official said that besides improving passenger facilitation, the redeveloping of Rawalpindi Railway Station can become a business hub. As per the plan, he said around 100 kanal space available adjacent to Jinnah Road (City Saddar Road) would be commercialized, besides uplifting the railway station. However, the Victorian-era building depicting ‘Indo-Saracenic’ architecture will remain intact.
He said the main purpose of the plan is to redevelop the Rawalpindi Railway Station as a business hub and multi-model network; expand platforms and create separate cargo platforms; bring inside the retail space; service apartments and motels; connect it to all transport services; ensuring energy as well as water efficiency and commercially and financially viable interventions on the adjacent land.
The official said the main building of Rawalpindi Railway Station consisted of three sections including the freight section, the passenger section and the main offices.
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