The Pakistan Railways would upgrade waiting halls at its 16 major stations by providing air-conditioners, Internet kiosks, televisions and other facilities.
The waiting rooms at the stations are generally well maintained, however, proposals are under consideration to improve facilities for passengers at Railway stations in the country.
The selected stations are Karachi City, Karachi Cantonment, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Okara, Raiwind, Lahore, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Hassanabdal, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Peshawar and Quetta.
Sources said the scope of up-gradation would cover all allied amenities for convenience of passengers. They said that one air-conditioned waiting room for ladies and one for gents had already been constructed at the Lahore railway station.
The sources said it was not a fact that sub-standard food items were being sold at the railway stations at higher prices. They said the Pakistan Railways had introduced a new catering policy whereby the sale of substandard food and other items had been completely eliminated. Now only branded food items such as water, soft drinks, ice-cream, tea, biscuits etc., were being sold there, added the sources.