ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is set to outsource 11 more passenger trains after the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved $10 million to help prepare the Railway Improvement Project. The move is expected to bring in Rs8.5 billion in additional revenue for the country’s largest state-owned transport department.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on Pakistan Railways, where officials briefed him that tenders for outsourcing the 11 trains have already been issued. The department has already outsourced four trains to private companies.
The meeting was also told that railway hospitals in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and Sukkur are being outsourced. The outsourcing of railway schools, colleges and rest houses is already in progress. Similarly, dry ports in Islamabad, Lahore and Azakhail are being handed over to private operators.
Officials informed the premier that 40 luggage and brake vans have been outsourced, which will generate an additional Rs820 million. The outsourcing of two cargo express trains is also underway and is expected to add Rs6.3 billion to the department’s revenue.
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PM Shehbaz Sharif stressed that Pakistan Railways should adopt a public-private partnership model for managing its land and properties.
He said the rail system is an important part of the country’s economy and directed authorities to involve top legal and economic experts, especially for projects linked to regional connectivity and cross-border rail links.
He appreciated the ongoing efforts to revive the railway system and praised Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and his team.
The meeting was told that the Islamabad–Tehran–Istanbul train service will resume soon, and initial work has begun on the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan rail corridor.
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A plan is also being prepared to upgrade the Karachi–Kotri section of Main Line-1 and Main Line-3.
Officials briefed the prime minister that 155 railway stations have been shifted to solar power. Under the ‘Rabta’ digital initiative, seven online portals are functional, 56 trains are now running on the new system, and 54 stations have been digitised.
Free Wi-Fi service has been launched at Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Faisalabad stations.
An online freight booking service is now operational, and a pilot digital weighing bridge has been installed at Karachi City Railway Station.
To improve security, 148 AI-powered surveillance cameras have been installed, and ATM machines are being set up at railway stations. Cleanliness services have also been outsourced.
