“The move is part of a broader initiative to upgrade these stations through a public-private partnership (PPP) model,” Cabinet Spokesman and Transport Minister Bandula Gunawardana said at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday.

He said under the PPP model, property belonging to the Railways Department will be leased on a long-term basis to private investors, who will be responsible for transforming the stations into modern “station plazas.”

These plazas are expected to enhance the infrastructure and amenities at the stations while generating revenue for the Government.