ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways (PR) is considering launching a new train service between Lahore and Karachi on the mode of Green Line Train plying between Islamabad and Karachi.
Answering various queries at a virtual open court on Monday, PR Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Aamir Ali Baloch said that the PR’s top priority is to provide better travel facilities to passengers. He highlighted that PR now possesses modern technology, enabling the local production of new coaches, which has ended PR’s dependency on imported coaches.
Baloch revealed that Pakistan Railways restored the Bolan Express operation within just 45 days using local resources. Additionally, railway tracks and bridges damaged by rains are also being repaired domestically without external assistance.
Talking about the PR progress, Baloch said that the national entity has marked second successive year of success with a 15 percent increase in revenue generation. Baloch said both the number of trains and the revenue have increased, while operational expenses have been reduced.
During the first five months of the current fiscal year, the PR’s revenue generated stood at Rs 37.5 billion, which is 15 percent higher compared to the same period of the previous fiscal year. Despite the increase in the number of trains, fuel expenses have decreased by 13.57 percent, the PR CEO said while expressing confidence that Pakistan Railways will achieve set revenue generation target of Rs109 billion for the ongoing fiscal year.
Similarly in June 2024, the Pakistan Railways achieved a record high in revenue, with the organisation reporting earnings of Rs 88 billion at the end of the financial year 2023-24. During the last year, the revenue of PR increased to more than Rs 88 billion, up from the previous Rs 63 billion, marking a 40 percent increase in revenue compared to the last financial year.
Initially, the government set a revenue target of Rs 73 billion for the department at the beginning of the financial year. The Railways generated Rs 47 billion from passenger trains, Rs 28 billion from goods services, and more than Rs 13 billion from land and other sources.
In addition, the CEO highlighted encouraging prospects for the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, indicating that groundwork is expected to commence by March 2025, positioning the organisation for long-term infrastructure growth and profitability.
The CEO Railways issued directives to the concerned divisional superintendent for improving amenities such as clean drinking water, additional benches, and other facilities at stations such as Padidan and Sialkot railway stations.
Addressing a query about encroachments on railway lands in Faisalabad, the CEO directed the Lahore divisional superintendent (DS) to take prompt action to retrieve railways’ lands from illegal occupants and land mafias.
In terms of onboard services, he instructed improvements in food quality and cleanliness, stressing the department’s responsibility to provide passengers with a clean and comfortable environment. He also urged the public to cooperate in maintaining cleanliness on trains.
Recently, the PR has introduced a 50 percent concession in rail fares for people with disabilities (PWDs) travelling in all express and passenger trains, excluding the Green Line.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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