RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Railways will establish restaurants at the historical Golra and Margalla railway stations to attract tourists by next month and upgrade the railway museum.

This was decided in a meeting held to discuss renovation of Golra and Margalla stations presided over by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasion Monday. The meeting was attended by Pakistan Railways officials.

“Our aim is to provide a better environment to the public. Modern style restaurants will be built at Golra and Margalla stations and their management would be outsourced,” the federal minister said.

He said the public would be able to come and enjoy there whenever they want, adding that “modern style electric poles will also be installed and clean and comfortable benches will be provided”.

Mr Abbasi said a modern cafeteria would also be built for students of the surrounding area in Margalla as more than four universities are located in the H sector.

Apart from this, he said steps were being taken to make the railway stations public-friendly and modern.

A senior official of the Pakistan Railways said there was a plan to set up tea and coffee café on wheels at Golra Railway Station, and a bogie would be prepared where sitting facility would be made available for more than 50 people. A corner at Golra Railway Station will be allocated and a private restaurant will be established to serve people traditional and continental food.

At Margalla Railway Station, the official said, it would be a picnic point for families and we would develop the site for families.

“The green environment already attracted the people and Pakistan Railways will facilitate the students and families to come enjoy the environment especially in the evenings and rainy days,” he said.

Golra Railway Station is more than 140 years old and is named after a small village famous for a shrine of renowned saint, religious scholar and poet Pir Mehar Ali Shah.

The Heritage Museum at Golra Railway Station, which consists of two main galleries, was established in 2003 to preserve more than 150 years of rail heritage. Railway equipment dating back to 1860s, including signals, meters, mode of communication, emergency equipment, Victorian-era furniture with classic crockery, piano, long-arm rest chairs, clocks, watches and medical kits, are displayed at the museum.

Margallah Railways Station, on the other hand, was established in Islamabad in the early 1970s by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto-led government, which wanted to connect Islamabad with the main railway system but it was not further expanded. However, due to its location, it was an ideal place to attract tourists.

Khurd station to be turned into tourist hub

Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Monday said that the British-era Attock Khurd railway station would be transformed into modern tourist destination through a comprehensive renovation plan, including setting up high-standard food stalls and luxury inns for travelers, and launching a plantation drive to improve the station’s environment.

He expressed these views while talking to newsmen during a visit to Attock railway station.

Member Punjab Assembly Sher Ali Khan, Sardar Iftikhar Ahmed Khan, member district monitoring committee and former provincial minister Jahangir Khanzada, PML-N leader Malik Hameed Akbar Khan, and officials of railways and district administration were also present on the occasion.

Responding to a question, he said that trains punctuality had increased from 18pc to 84pc.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing a more comfortable and welcoming environment to passengers at railway stations across the country.

He noted that the chief minister had directed him to enhance the capabilities of Pakistan Railways. In line with this directive, Abbasi said several major initiatives were currently under consideration.

Among them is a project aimed at reducing travel time between Lahore and Rawalpindi to just two hours. He said that the country’s economy is gaining momentum and expressed confidence that the prime minister’s vision will elevate Pakistan to new heights.

The minister also attended a briefing by the district administration in which Attock Deputy Commissioner Rao Atif Raza informed him about development projects, especially the promotion of eco-tourism.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2025