ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is planning to offer its several passenger trains and Railway platforms for advertisement, to generate maximum revenue for the state entity.
An official in the Ministry told APP that Minister Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has directed the concerned authorities to chalk out a new revenue model looking into the possibility of using trains and platforms for advertisement purposes. He said use of the trains and platforms for the purpose would not only address the increasing deficit of the department but it will also provide private firms an opportunity to advertise their products.
The official said that as a pilot project, initially, Pakistan Railways would offer internal walls of the passenger coaches, seat covers, and even toilets of five trains for advertisement purposes. “The deficit of the department will decrease after the launching of this project. The minister has already directed the concerned authorities to complete all the formalities at the earliest,” he added.
Pakistan Railways to upgrade five stations
On the other hand, Pakistan Railways is also planning to upgrade its five Railway stations including Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, and Quetta on modern lines so as to facilitate the passengers. The purpose of upgrading the Railway stations is to make them commercial hubs and also facilitate the passengers, the official added. The decision will also help the department generate more revenue. The official said that the decision was made in line with the direction of Minister Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique. He said the government was taking several steps to improve the performance of the public entity and would provide maximum facilities to the public. — APP
