LAHORE, Aug 21: The Pakistan Railways in collaboration with private sector will soon launch 11 commercial/housing projects on its lands across the country as presentations for this purpose are under way, it is learnt.

These schemes included two housing schemes on 100 acres each in Islamabad and Attock and 700 apartments on 120 acres in Karachi.

The apartments in Karachi will be built at Mehmoodabad real estate as katcha abadis from the area have already been removed.

The housing scheme in Islamabad will be developed on 100 acres lying vacant in the vicinity of Carriage Factory there. This as well as the Attock project will be developed in phases as low-cost housing schemes.

The railway authorities are also planning to develop multi-storey plazas on lands in Gujranwala and Sialkot with shops on ground floors, offices on first and apartments on upper floors.

A big commercial plaza on six acres close to the Peshawar railway station is also being envisaged, while an expatriate Pakistani is interested in developing a 70,000 sq-ft railway land in Lalamusa as a commercial property.

The second class waiting room at the Lahore railway station will also be demolished to develop a four-storey plaza that will have shops on ground floor, an inexpensive hotel, a cafeteria and a cyber cafe on the other three floors. While on the land housing the rail mail service (RMS), shops, offices of travelling agencies and a post office will be built.

Commercial plazas will be built at the site of a Bhagwanpura roti plant and a house on the Allama Iqbal Road in the city.

Meanwhile, the authorities have leased out for 20 years a portion of officers’ club at Multan to a private firm that will develop health support and recreational facilities there.

Railway employees will be entitled to utilize these facilities free of cost as the firm will have to surrender 10 per cent of its gross income to the PR and pay Rs100,000 per month rent.