ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said the government had made Pakistan railways a profitable organization with immense improvement, upgradation, and cultural change.
"The railways was in losses with Rs 32 billion deficit in 2013 when I took charge. Hard decisions were taken to change its condition and now its deficit is being decreased annually from Rs two billion to 3 billion. Hopefully, there would be zero deficit in upcoming five years," he said while talking to a news channel.
The Minister said the railways had earned Rs 18 billion in 2013, Rs 21 billion in 2014 and Rs 30 billion in 2015 which was ample proof of its improvement. No loan was taken from any country, he added.
He said tangible measures were taken to increase speed of the passenger and freight trains especially covering long distance.
Passenger train speed had been enhanced from 105 kilometers per hour to 160 and freigt train speed from 50 to 100. Pakistan railways tracks were now safe and the repairing and maintenance work of rail bridges were being carried out to avoid any untoward incident, he informed.
He said Lahore-Karachi double rail track would soon be inaugurated which would facilitate the commuters and reduce travel time.
The Minister regretted that the past regimes did not give due attention for the improvement of Pakistan Railways, and no considerable investment was made in the sector.
Saad Rafique said the railways workshops and manpower were present before 2013 but there was shortage of material and locomotive spare parts. Now Railway workshops were fully operational for smooth flow of the system.
He said, strict action in accordance with the law including dismissal from service were taken against those found involved in corruption which had brought transparency in railways.
To a question he said, there was no plan to privatize Pakistan Railways as now it had been made a profitable organization.
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