Railway operation to be extended from Margalla station to 9th Avenue

Islamabad:The civic agency is pondering over a proposal to extend the operation of the railway from Margallah Railway Station to Khayaban-e-Johar Bus Station at 9th Avenue. According to the details, the proposal underlined that the railway line is a green mode of transport that is less costly and can carry more passengers, take less time, and create less pollution as compared to road transport. The existing railway infrastructure may be improved to promote green transport.

The operational facilities at Margallah Railway Station may be improved and linked with road transport. The process of identifying a suitable land for the main bus terminal is also underway because Islamabad has no bus terminal due to which the transporters have established illegal intercity bus stands along IJP Road, which are neither in conformity with the master plan nor have any comfort for the passengers. The construction of Margalla Avenue will segregate the urban area from the Margalla Hills and provide a bypass route for the traffic originating from the city moving to Peshawar and northern areas linking with GT Road.

An official has said, "They are already in touch with a Chinese company to review the proposal of developing modern Light Rail Transit (LRT) project that will provide a unique mass transit system in the federal capital." He said "We have a plan to connect Margallah Railway Station with the road network to facilitate the passengers.

The proposal underlined that the LRT project for Islamabad can have the space to carry 8,000 to 20,000 passengers per hour. Surprisingly, its single unit will occupy 350-700 passengers at a time." "Some other routes have also been identified to connect all areas of Islamabad with one another and also with Rawalpindi. We are going to take some key decisions in the coming months to expand the scope of the mass transit system in Islamabad," he said.