Sewage, delays plague Lahore Railway Station

Travellers complain of foul smell, malfunctioning facilities, poor maintenance

LAHORE:

Passengers travelling through Lahore Railway Station have complained of poor sanitation, foul-smelling sewage, delayed trains and malfunctioning facilities, saying the deteriorating conditions are causing serious inconvenience despite paying for rail travel.

Passengers said sewage water had accumulated along railway tracks due to an inadequate drainage system, creating an unbearable stench across several platforms.

The prolonged delays in train departures, coupled with hot and humid weather, have made waiting at the station increasingly difficult.

Travellers also complained that escalators remained out of order, forcing passengers to carry heavy luggage up and down staircases.

They alleged that the malfunctioning escalators had enabled porters to charge inflated rates for carrying baggage.

Although Pakistan Railways has outsourced sanitation services at the station to the Suthra Punjab programme, passengers alleged that both the cleanliness standards and official oversight remained unsatisfactory.

They claimed railway officials only visited limited sections of the station before reporting that conditions were satisfactory.

Platforms 2, 3, 4 and 5 were reported to be in particularly poor condition, with overflowing sewage, litter and overgrown vegetation. Passengers also pointed to the presence of large rodents and insects around the platforms and railway tracks.

Sanitation workers at the station said they had not received salaries for several months and lacked proper cleaning equipment, relying only on brooms and worn-out wipers that they said were insufficient to maintain hygiene.

Passengers further criticised the condition of train coaches, alleging that many were poorly maintained, with broken windows and unhygienic washrooms lacking running water despite trains being sent daily for washing.

"We have to wait for hours because trains are delayed, and the foul smell from stagnant sewage makes it impossible to sit on the platforms," said passengers Aram Abbas, Tanveer Amjad, Kashif and Aqeel.

They also complained that air-conditioned waiting lounges were overcrowded and often not functioning properly, making it difficult to wait comfortably during the summer heat.

They alleged that food sold at the station was overpriced and of poor quality, while porters charged excessive rates for handling luggage.

Responding to the complaints, Suthra Punjab official Tayyaba denied any shortage of cleaning equipment or staff.

She said Lahore Railway Station, being more than a century old, occasionally experienced drainage blockages during heavy rains but maintained that such issues were resolved promptly.

"Our teams remain deployed around the clock. As soon as trains depart, cleaning of the platforms and tracks begins immediately," she said.

Repeated attempts to contact Divisional Medical Officer (Railways) Dr Sameera for comment were unsuccessful.