ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif discussed plans to improve Pakistan’s railway system to boost trade with Central Asian countries. During a meeting about railways, he asked Pakistan Railways to quickly work on connecting Gwadar to the rail network.
According to the details provided by private media, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi updated the prime minister on the department’s progress. He said Pakistan Railways has a lot of potential for growth and investment.
He mentioned new information desks at major stations, improved cleaning services at Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan stations, and better food quality checks on trains and at stations. Some train services that were stopped earlier have also restarted.
The minister shared that the Bolan Mail is now running daily again, and the Dera Ghazi Khan Express and Khushhal Khan Khattak Express have been brought back into service.
To raise funds, the minister said factories in Sukkur, Khanewal, and Kohat that make railway sleepers, as well as railway hospitals, schools, colleges, and rest houses in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and Sukkur, are being outsourced.
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The Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in Lahore is being auctioned, with plans to possibly build a five-star hotel. The railways’ IT system is also being updated, and free Wi-Fi is now available on trains. The Rabta App for ticket booking has been improved, and 155 stations have switched to solar power, saving a lot of money.
The department has also reduced 17,101 jobs, with plans to cut 5,695 more. Some railway units, like Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services, Railcop, Pakistan Railways Freight Transport Company, and the Project Implementation Unit, have been closed.
The meeting was informed that railway land worth Rs10 billion has been recovered, and plans are being made with Punjab for a high-speed train between Lahore and Rawalpindi, along with station upgrades and suburban services. The Sariab-Kuchlak and Quetta-Chaman railway sections will also be improved.
In a separate meeting, a group from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), led by Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, met the prime minister to discuss the federal budget for 2025-2026.
The group shared their suggestions for the budget. The prime minister said providing better transport through the Green Line project in Karachi is a key focus. He also said work on the K-IV water project and the Karachi-Hyderabad package will be sped up.
Later, the prime minister met a group from Belarus, led by Defence Minister Lt-Gen Victor Khrenin. He expressed interest in strengthening economic ties with Belarus and learning from their expertise in making agricultural machinery.
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The group included the Belarusian ambassador and other officials. The prime minister said cooperation in IT and defense with Belarus would be increased.Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also preparing for an official visit to Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi spoke to the media about plans to make trains between Rawalpindi and Lahore faster, reaching speeds of 160 kilometers per hour to cut travel time to two hours.
He said an international freight train service from Lahore to the Iranian border and then to Russia will start soon. Plans are also being made for railway projects with Kazakhstan to support trade with Central Asian countries.
The minister announced a 20 percent discount on train fares during Eid and said five special trains will run for the occasion. He added that Pakistan Railways earned Rs83 billion in the last 11 months, a record for the department. Additionally, 1,413 new wagons are being built, with 500 for freight services.
A new train from Lahore to Narowal will start on June 15. The minister also said the outsourcing of eight hospitals and 14 schools is in progress to provide better and affordable healthcare and education for railway employees.
