KARACHI, Jan 4: The Pakistan Railway is planning to improve the Gilani railway station in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and making it the city's central station for passengers and the Wazir Mansion railway station for freight wagons, it is learnt on Sunday.

Official sources said that the railway had been preparing a feasibility report for converting Gilani railway station into a full-fledged station from where it could operate different passenger trains for upcountry.

After the preparation of feasibility report, it would be sent to the federal government for seeking adequate funds, the sources said and added that the railway had been currently operating its passenger trains for upcountry from City, Cantt and Drigh Road railway stations. All of these stations could not cater the needs of other city areas and passengers had to face hardships in getting to these stations.

The establishment of the Gilani railway station would provide an access to a nearest railway station to those living in Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Liaquatabad, Federal B Area, Nazimabad, North Nazimabad, North Karachi and adjoining areas.

Besides, they said that the Wazir Mansion railway station would be converted into a major station for goods transport as it was near to the port. Another railway station for operating freight wagons from Port Qasim was also under consideration.

These proposals were reviewed in a meeting held recently at the office of the Divisional Superintendent Railway at the City Station, which was chaired by the railway minister Ghous Bukhsh Mahar. The meeting was attended by the Chairman of Pakistan Railways, Khurshid Ali Khan; Secretary Railways Board, Liaquat Arain; General Manager (Operations), Lahore, Mohammad Aurangzeb; the DS Railway, Karachi, Asrar Alvi and others.

The meeting reviewed that the Gilani railway station was in the centre of the metropolis and it could be elevated to a central railway station. The meeting was told that the railway would need to construct washing line, adequate numbers of platforms, besides the railway trained staff and locomotives were also essential requirements for the proposed central railway station.

Railway officials said that a considerable land of the Gilani railway station had been encroached upon and it was not practically possible to remove a major portion of the encroached land.

However, the officials said that 22 acres land was still in the Pakistan Railways's possession, which was sufficient for establishing the said railway station.

The meeting also discussed the accidents in which people were killed while crossing railway tracks within the city. The officials said the railway authorities had been considering fencing along the railway tracks within the metropolis to avoid such incidents in future.

Referring to violence in the city after the death of a doctor in Malir when the people staged a sit-in suspending rail traffic for hours, the officials said the fencing would also prevent suspension of rail traffic, which caused severe hardships to passengers and their relatives. They said that the 2.5km fencing from Landhi to Malir would cost around Rs5 million (i.e. Rs2 million per kilometre).

The meeting observed that the existing overhead pedestrian bridges to cross railway tracks had gone obsolete. A new design was being devised so that the overhead bridges could benefit people of all ages. The proposal of underpasses was also under deliberation.

The officials said that the railway had also planned to construct highrise commercial buildings at its own land in different cities. This would not only boost economic activities, but also create job opportunities and generate revenue for the railway, they added.

They said that it had been decided in the meeting of the Council for Common Interest that 30 per cent of the total revenue to be generated through the proposed commercial outlets of the railway would go to the respective provincial governments. They said that all the provincial governments had agreed to the proposal except Sindh government.

However, the officials in provincial and city governments said that the land had been given to Pakistan Railway for the sole purpose of operating trains and the Karachi Circular Railway. They said that the railway could not be allowed to utilize the land other than the specific purpose.