Abbasi for solarising 155 railway stations by Dec 31

LAHORE:Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi chaired a meeting at Pakistan Railways Headquarters here to review the performance of the Civil and Mechanical Engineering Departments.

During the session with the Civil Engineering Department, the minister expressed serious concern over the inspection processes. He questioned officials about their methods, remarking that if inspections continued to be carried out only on paper from offices, it would inevitably lead to loss of lives. He warned that in the event of any casualty due to negligence, he would personally become a complainant.

Referring to the ongoing inquiry into the Khanewal incident, the minister said that its findings would serve as a deterrent and ensure that such negligence is never repeated. He directed immediate emergency inspections of all railway bridges and passenger underpasses across the country. Abbasi instructed the Additional General Manager Infrastructure to focus on the capacity building of department officers and emphasised the need for accountability at every level.

He announced that the escalators at Lahore Railway Station must be made operational by June 25 and set a deadline of December 31 for transitioning 155 railway stations to solar energy.

In a subsequent meeting to review the performance of the Mechanical Engineering Department, Minister Abbasi criticised the department for its failure to install 12 air-conditioning units received for German coaches, pointing out that officers had gone on Eid holidays instead. He questioned how they could enjoy holidays given the poor condition of the passenger coaches. Abbasi insisted that passengers must be provided improved facilities at all costs, even if it required officers to work through the night. He warned that if train AC systems continued to malfunction, operations in the officers' own offices would be halted.

The minister directed all officers to conduct on-site inspections to check the fitness of coaches and ordered the transfer of those who failed to do so. He demanded improved performance from railway workshops and made it clear that 69 locomotives would not be sold as scrap but must be restored to working condition. He set a target for the delivery of 820 freight wagons by December 31 and emphasised that 70 percent of Pakistan Railways' total revenue must come from freight operations.

Later, Abbasi met with managers of train dining cars and warned that no negligence in food quality or hygiene would be tolerated. He stressed that passengers must be served food comparable to home-cooked meals, at fair prices.