Hyderabad SATI for immediate restoration of railway station
HYDERABAD: The Chairman of the Hyderabad SITE Association of Trade and Industry, Zubair Ghangra, has expressed deep concern over the extremely poor and alarming condition of Hyderabad Railway Station.
In his statement, he said that unfortunately this historic and central railway station still presents a picture of the 19th century, causing serious inconvenience not only to passengers but also to the business and industrial community.
He stated that during the last monsoon season, the roof of the waiting area at Hyderabad Railway Station collapsed, which was a serious warning sign.
However, despite the passage of a considerable amount of time, the roof has yet to be repaired or restored, reflecting sheer negligence and posing a constant threat to the safety of passengers. He further pointed out that the overall condition outside the station is equally deplorable, with a visible lack of cleanliness, poor drainage, and deteriorating basic infrastructure.
The parking area, in particular, has no proper lighting, creating severe difficulties for passengers, especially women and elderly citizens.
Zubair Ghangra emphasized that Hyderabad is one of Sindh’s major industrial and commercial cities, with hundreds of industries operating in the SITE area. Unfortunately, the city’s main railway station fails to reflect its economic significance. He stressed that if Pakistan Railways genuinely aims to improve its service standards and enhance revenue generation, it must immediately upgrade the railway station of a large and vibrant city like Hyderabad.
The chairman strongly underlined that the establishment of a cargo train point in Hyderabad has become an urgent necessity. This would enable industrialists from the SITE area and other industrial zones to directly utilize Hyderabad Railway Station for their import and export consignments. Such an initiative would significantly reduce logistics costs for industries, lessen dependence on Karachi, and at the same time generate substantial additional revenue for Pakistan Railways through enhanced cargo services.
He further stated that if proper cargo facilities, loading and unloading points, and warehousing arrangements are developed at Hyderabad Railway Station, it can be transformed into an effective logistics hub for central Sindh. Along with this, the immediate repair of waiting areas, provision of adequate lighting in parking and surrounding areas, improved cleanliness arrangements, better track and platform maintenance, and overall digitalization of station systems have become unavoidable.
In conclusion, Zubair Ghangra urged the federal minister for Railways and senior authorities to take immediate notice of the deteriorating condition of Hyderabad Railway Station and to implement a clear short-term and mid-term plan to transform this historic station into a modern, safe, and business-friendly facility.
He emphasized that such measures would not only restore passengers’ confidence but also rebuild the trust of the industrial and business community in Pakistan Railways, enabling it to function as a profitable and respectable national institution, comparable to those in developed countries.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025