LAHORE: The Punjab government, in collaboration with Pakistan Railways, has greenlit a 40-km Green Corridor Project running from Shahdara to Raiwind. Spanning roughly 700 kanals, the initiative will transform the flanks of the railway track into an eco-friendly urban spine with recreational features and greenery.
Valued at over Rs 2.25 billion, the corridor will be completed in four phases over a year, reviving a plan from the 2017‑18 Annual Development Programme that was previously shelved.
Public engagement is central to the design: old rail carriages will become digital libraries and cafés, and the corridor will host walking tracks, bicycle paths, open-air gyms, playgrounds, and cart markets to foster community use.
An official from the Parks & Horticulture Authority said the corridor represents Lahore’s “first-ever rail‑track green belt,” part of a broader push to cut smog levels, improve microclimate, and redefine the city’s landscape as sustainable and people‑centered.
Federal Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi praised Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz for championing the plan and emphasized its importance in addressing both environmental health and urban resilience