KARACHI, Feb 8: Pakistan Railway has started constructing two more platforms at the cantonment railway station, which is likely to be completed in June this year.

The Divisional Superintendent of Railway Asrar Alvi told Dawn that with the construction of two more platforms, their number would increase to eight as the existing were not enough to cater the need of rail transportation.

He said the two platforms would be built with an estimated cost of Rs16 million. "We have also planned further expansion of the number of platforms at cantonment station," he added.

He said the construction work was in full-swing and two new tracks were being laid down which would be connected with the existing ones. "We will operate further four to five trains daily through the two new platforms," he added.

Besides, he said the railway was also going to open the counter of reservation at the cantonment station on trial basis. "We are going to start this service in a day or two on trial basis. If we find its performance satisfied a formal inauguration will be carried out," he said and expressed hope that the formal inauguration was expected within a fortnight.

Apart from this, official sources said that the railway department had also planned to improve the Gilani railway station in Gulshan-i-Iqbal and make it the city's central station for passengers.

They said that the feasibility report was in progress for converting Gilani railway station into a full-fledged railway station from where different passenger trains would be operated for upcountry.

After preparation of the feasibility, the report 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 the three stations could not cater the needs of passengers from different areas of the city. Passengers had to face hardships in getting to these stations, they said.

The sources said that the Gilani railway station was in the heart of the metropolis and it could be elevated to a central railway station. They further 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 of land was still in the possession of the railway department which was sufficient for establishing a railway station.