Most modern, developed cities have busy railway stations. Railways are the worlds primary means of transportation for goods and people offering a fast and economical way to move from pace to place. As such great attention is given to the development and management of railway stations to ensure that travelers get a good first impression of a city when they arrive from another place. Sadly this cannot be said of the Karachi City Railway Station.
The Karachi City Station, also known as Cantt station was built way back in 1898 during the time of the British and the main building has been declared a ‘Protected Heritage’ by the Sindh government. Going inside the station also feels like going back in time. The station is always filled with people due to the long waiting times of the trains and there are inadequate seating facilities.
The cleanliness of the station is also a concern with pan stains on the walls and garbage lying on the tracks. During the summer heat it becomes even more difficult as many fans do not work and there is a shortage of clean drinking water.
Recently a project was launched by an NGO by the name of ‘Pursukoon Karachi’ which aims to revitalize the station and its buildings. This is a positive step taken by the citizens as it has become clear that the government is incapable of taking care of the situation on its own and much more need to be done in the future.