Summary
- Pakistan Railways (PR) has decided to outsource 13 express passenger trains and instructed relevant officials to complete the process by the end of December this year.
- Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told Dawn that maintaining railway infrastructure and ensuring safe train operations remained a key priority of the government.
- Abbasi expressed hope that the railway department would generate around Rs120 billion from passenger and freight train operations by the end of the ongoing financial year on June 30.
The department has also stepped up efforts to restore all defective and non-operational wagons, while initiating action against vendors that failed to provide required parts within the stipulated time.
Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told Dawn that maintaining railway infrastructure and ensuring safe train operations remained a key priority of the government. He said concerned officials had been tasked with bringing all defective coaches and wagons back into operational condition.
He added that officials had also been instructed to replace damaged brake cylinders, blocks and shoes with new components to improve the safety and reliability of train operations.
According to the minister, the process of outsourcing trains and luggage vans is already in progress, with 13 express passenger trains scheduled to be handed over to private operators by December 31. The necessary procedures, including advertisements and contract awards, would be completed shortly.
Abbasi said six trains were currently being commercially operated by private parties. The services planned for outsourcing by December include Sandal, Allama Iqbal Express, Faiz Ahmad Faiz, Fareed Express, Sukkur Express, Babu Passenger, Bulleh Shah Passenger, Mohenjodaro Express, Lasani Express, Sialkot Express, Karachi Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express and Tezgam.
The minister also said the railway bridge damaged by recent floods along the Lahore-Faisalabad route would be rehabilitated within two months, allowing rail traffic to resume. He noted that freight revenue had exceeded passenger revenue for the first time in the history of Pakistan Railways.
Abbasi expressed hope that the railway department would generate around Rs120 billion from passenger and freight train operations by the end of the ongoing financial year on June 30.
Separately, the minister chaired a meeting at railway headquarters, where he instructed authorities to blacklist private vendors responsible for delays in supplying equipment and materials. The meeting reviewed railway operations, revenue generation, maintenance, security and outsourcing.
Abbasi also directed officials to install modern CCTV surveillance systems and deploy private security personnel at railway workshops and yards to prevent theft. He stressed the need for coordinated efforts to meet the revenue targets established for the current financial year and instructed that locomotives undergoing repairs be returned to service within their scheduled timelines.
The minister ordered legal proceedings against officials found negligent in carrying out their responsibilities. Officials told the meeting that advance planning was essential for ensuring transparency and improving the overall efficiency of the railway system.
Abbasi further directed authorities to complete ongoing track renewal work in Sukkur division by December 31, saying the project would reduce operational travel time by approximately one and a half hours. He also ordered the completion of the flood-damaged Mian Kallar Bridge within 60 days and directed that repairs to employees’ residential quarters in Lahore be completed within two months.
