A new Islamabad to Karachi train service, 'Green Line', was inaugurated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday amid much fanfare. The travel time (23 hours from departure to final destination) and fare are about the same as those of normal express trains and air-conditioned coaches in them. Another common feature is sleeper seats for passengers. What distinguishes the Green Line from its competitors is a contemporary approach. The passengers are provided with WiFi facility, newspapers, and meals, and even Rs 1 million insurance. And as the Prime Minister noted, its toilets are better than those in PIA planes - which makes one wonder whether the comment was a vote of censure on the national carrier's service standards or a compliment for the Pakistan Railways.
PR has been badly in need of change. Until recently, it was running heavy revenue losses, leading to suspension of trains on more than a score routes. Goods trains went off the rails altogether, foiling hopes of PR's revival since freight trains not only are an efficient and cheap mode of transporting goods, railways everywhere make profit from hauling freight rather than passenger traffic. Creditably for this government, things are now looking up. It has good reason to cite the introduction of Green Line as sign of PR having turned into a profit making public sector organization. Revenue rose by 30 percent in the first half of 2014-15, through measures the railways ministry describes as rationalization of tariff and expenditures, which in turn improved occupancy rates. By the end of the current fiscal year, it is expected to collect income worth Rs 31 billion, higher than the original estimate of Rs 28 billion.
The Green Line holds importance within the bigger context of the revival, expansion and modernization of the Railways. The Prime Minister sees it as an experimental service, which would lead to other projects of fast and affordable journey. In fact, he talked of a train service between Karachi and Kashgar and, in the near future, a train linkage with Turkey. His interest in construction of motorways and other connectivity projects is beyond any doubt. It is worthwhile to note that even though, despite much public criticism, this government has remained reluctant to appoint heads and senior staff members of certain departments and public sector entities, it has appointed ten members of the railways board, holding the board meeting for the first time in ten years. The railways ministry, aside from increasing the number of locomotives from 160 to 280, has undertaken an important project for the upgradation of 11 railway stations. A significant aspect of the project is restoration of the original character of these stations, which is to invoke the sense of romance and adventure associated for long with train journey. The Green Line, therefore, is to be welcomed as just one step towards making trains an inexpensive and reliable mode of travel and commercial connectivity.