Islamabad (HRNW)– Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has directed to adopt the public-private partnership model for the property and land issues of Pakistan Railways.
An important meeting on the affairs of Pakistan Railways was held at the Prime Minister House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif.
While speaking to the participants of the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the railway system is the backbone of any country’s economy and communication.
He said that the steps being taken towards the restoration of the railway system are commendable. The Prime Minister praised Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and his team for the restoration and upgradation of Pakistan Railways.
The Prime Minister directed to seek the services of international standard legal and economic experts for Pakistan Railways, especially for regional connectivity and international train link projects.
He further directed that the public-private partnership model be adopted for the property and land issues of the railways.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the steps being taken for the improvement of Pakistan Railways.
The meeting was informed that 7 digital portals of “Rabat” are working regarding the digitization of Pakistan Railways; 56 trains have been transferred to Rabat. 54 railway stations have been digitized.
Free Wi-Fi facility has been provided at railway stations of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad, while free Wi-Fi will be provided at 48 more railway stations by December 31, 2025.
The meeting was further informed that a freight online booking system has been introduced. A pilot project of digital weighing bridge has been started from Karachi City Railway Station; In the next phase, this facility will also be provided in railway stations of Pipri, Karachi Cantonment, Port Qasim, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
148 surveillance cameras working with artificial intelligence have been installed at Rawalpindi Railway Station. ATM machines of banks are being installed at railway stations.
Outsourcing has been done to improve the standard of cleanliness of railway stations. High-quality waiting rooms have been built for passengers at major railway stations. Information desks have been set up at railway stations for the convenience of passengers.
Food authorities of all four provinces have been given access to improve the standard of food and drink supply at railway stations.
The meeting was informed that 4 trains have been outsourced while 11 more trains will be outsourced soon and an advertisement has been issued in this regard; an additional revenue of Rs. 8.5 billion is expected due to this outsourcing. 40 luggage and break vans have also been outsourced, due to which an additional revenue of Rs. 820 billion is expected.
2 cargo express trains are also being outsourced, due to which an additional revenue of Rs. 6.3 billion is expected. Work is underway on outsourcing railway hospitals in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and Sukkur.
Work is also underway on outsourcing railway schools, colleges and rest houses. Railway dry ports in Lahore, Islamabad and Azakhel are also being outsourced. 155 railway stations have been converted to solar energy.
The meeting was informed that Railway Constructions Pakistan Limited, Pakistan Railway Freight Transportation Company and Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Service have been closed down.
An action plan is being prepared for the Karachi-Kotri section of Main Line-One and the upgradation of Main Line-Three. Work will be done in collaboration with the Sindh government regarding the Thar Rail Connectivity project. The Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train will start soon. Initial work is also being done on the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan rail project.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema and relevant senior government officials.
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