In the first phase, work is underway at Lahore Railways Station, where escalators are being installed on platforms 2 and 4 at a cost of Rs60 million. The installation is nearly complete.
Established in 1859 during the British era, Lahore Railways Station serves hundreds of thousands of passengers daily. In the absence of escalators, elderly passengers, women and children often struggled with stairs while carrying luggage. Given the hardship faced by the railway commuters, the administration decided to install escalators which will be operational soon.
As many as 50 million passengers travel in trains annually. The railways administration said after Lahore, the escalators will be installed phase-wise at Karachi, Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and other stations.
It has estimated the total cost at Rs120 million. Work for installation of escalators at Karachi Railways Station will also be started this month. Besides, the administration is also constructing comfortable waiting areas for passengers.