ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) has earned around Rs 200.33 billion during the last four years and also significantly decreased its working expenses to transform the organisation into a profitable entity.

“PR has earned Rs 49.576 billion in 2017-18, Rs 54.514 billion in 2018-19, Rs 47.588 billion in 2019-2020 and Rs 48.652 billion in 2020-21,” an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP.

The official said that before Covid-19, around 71 pairs of passenger trains were running over the entire network of PR, however, due to the pandemic the train operation was suspended on March 2020.

He said, thereafter, PR was restoring train operations in phases and up till now as many as 45 pairs of trains had been restored over the entire network.

The official said the Babu train was also suspended due to COVID-19 and the train would be restored in near future depending on the resources. However, the rail cars/trains between Lahore and Rawalpindi had been restored.

To facilitate the people of Gujranwala, he said that Khyber Mail, Tezgam Express, Awam Express, Jaffar Express, Subak Raftar and Subauk Kharam were observing stoppages at main Gujranwala station.

To a question, he said the punctuality ratio of PR passenger trains have improved by 74 percent in year 2020-2021 due to untiring efforts of the management. “With the punctuality of trains and concrete measures taken by the government, over 20 million passengers have been added in the system, which is an ample proof of department’s achievement,” he added.

The punctuality of passenger trains was 71 percent in 2017-18, 70 percent in 2018-19 and only 40 percent in tenures of the previous governments which was now improving day-by-day, he said. “The quality of food served in the passenger trains had been improved considerably as it had been officially supervised by the authorities that passengers should get pure and quality food on the trains,” he added.