LAHORE (HRNW): Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has announced that the “Peoples Train” will be officially inaugurated on August 14. Speaking to the media at the Railway Headquarters after the inauguration of a new reservation office, the Minister provided a comprehensive update on the modernization of Pakistan Railways.
He stated that the department is currently operating at full capacity to address long-standing issues, with track restoration being the top priority.
Key Infrastructure & Service Updates:
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High-Speed Travel: Work is underway on the Lahore-Rawalpindi route. Upon completion of the new track, the travel time between the two cities will be reduced to just 2 hours and 20 minutes.
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Track Maintenance: Repair work on the Rohri track is ongoing and is expected to be completed by September.
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ML-1 Progress: The Minister noted that all provinces are being taken on board for the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project. He revealed that the Chief Minister of Sindh is expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the project soon.
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Provincial Connectivity: In addition to the Peoples Train launch, a major “good news” announcement is pending for the residents of Quetta. Discussions are also underway with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government.
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Digital Transformation: Following a directive from the Prime Minister, Pakistan Railways is being digitized. A state-of-the-art control room has been established, with seven more planned. The Frontier Works Organization (FWO) is collaborating on these technical upgrades.
Station Facilities & Modernization:
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New Stations: Modern railway stations are set to be constructed in Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Multan.
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Public Amenities: Free Wi-Fi services will be installed at all major railway stations to facilitate passengers.
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Departmental Reforms: The Minister highlighted that the marketing department is being restructured, and efforts are being made to transition auto-vehicles to specialized transport systems.
The Minister reiterated that with the support of the Punjab government and federal initiatives, Pakistan Railways is moving toward a more efficient and state-of-the-art future.
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