Railways minister targets Rs160 billion income, sets Dec 31 deadline for fixes
Railways Minister Haneef Abbasi said Pakistan Railways aims to raise its income to Rs160 billion this year. He set a December 31 deadline to resolve the department's problems.
- Target income this year is Rs160 billion, up from Rs115 billion
- Leave suspended and staff to stay in the field until December 31
- 20 of 40 trains lack complete brakes, the minister said
- ML-1 to be completed with World Bank and ADB cooperation
Federal Railways Minister Haneef Abbasi has announced that Pakistan Railways aims to raise its income to Rs160 billion this year, and has set a December 31 deadline to resolve the department's problems.
He said leave will be suspended during this period and all officers and staff will remain in the field. He was speaking at Rawalpindi railway station, where he attended the inauguration of 11 new coaches of the Awam Express and inspected them.
Awam Express was acquired by AA Enterprises through the privatisation process. Abbasi said the train has been refurbished after privatisation and is starting service with private sector cooperation.
The minister said railway income has risen from Rs88 billion to Rs115 billion. He said employees' salaries have been regularised and the cleaning system is being upgraded. Free Wi-Fi has been provided at 60 stations.
Abbasi said Railway Workshop Lahore, closed for 15 years, has been restored, and all five workshops that repair engines and wheels, closed since 2008, have been reactivated. He also revealed that 20 of 40 trains lack complete brakes, and said efforts would be made to resolve the problems by December 31.
He said stations are being monitored through CCTV cameras and steps will be taken to stop the theft of railway parts. He said NLC is strongly helping Railways and that its withdrawal of engines could severely affect the railway system.
Abbasi said the ML-1 project will be completed with cooperation from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. He also said the Thar Coal project will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
He said the Punjab government has provided funds to restore the Lahore and Rawalpindi stations in Victorian style and gave a Rs10 billion package for railways. Railway hospitals are being handed over to the private sector, while employees will receive free full medical treatment, he said. According to Daily Pakistan, he described himself as a worker rather than a revolutionary.
Background
khabr.pk reported on 9 November that Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi said Pakistan Railways had crossed the Rs100 billion target for the first time, and named Rs160 billion as the next target.
Why it matters for Pakistan
Millions of Pakistani travellers depend on railway services. The minister's admission that 20 of 40 trains lack complete brakes bears directly on passenger safety. Free Wi-Fi at 60 stations and the Awam Express with 11 new coaches affect those who travel by train. Railway employees are affected by the regularised salaries and free medical treatment he announced.
