Pakistan Railways crosses Rs100 billion target for first time, minister says

Federal Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi said on Monday that Pakistan Railways has crossed the Rs100 billion target for the first time in its history. He said the next target is Rs160 billion. Minute Mirror described the figure as a revenue mark.

He was speaking at a ceremony in Rawalpindi to inaugurate 11 refurbished coaches of the Awam Express. Minute Mirror reported that the train had previously been in poor condition but has now been upgraded. Of the earlier state of the train, Abbasi said, in Urdu: "یہ وہ عوام ایکسپریس تھی جس کو دیکھنےکا دل نہیں چاہتاتھا" (this was the Awam Express that one did not even feel like looking at).

Abbasi said more trains will be upgraded and that further improvements to other trains are being considered. He said operational problems affecting the Quaid-e-Azam Express and Millat Express had been fixed, according to Daily Pakistan. Minute Mirror named the Karakoram and Millat Express as the trains with such problems.

On the structure of the department, the minister said the railways is being moved towards privatisation, as other sectors are. Daily Pakistan also reported that railways hospitals are to be outsourced, and that railways employees will receive free treatment.

The minister said railways has started various projects in consultation with the provinces. He said agreements have been reached with Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on branch routes.

He said that when the Punjab chief minister asked about restoring trains on branch routes, he told her four would be activated this year and four in the next fiscal year. Abbasi added that Sindh also wants to activate branch routes and that the facilities for this are available.