Pakistan Railways to modernise network

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has said that now is the best time and opportunity to strengthen Pakistan’s economy, urging the business community to have confidence.

The minister expressed these views during a visit to the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). He said that when investment flows in, industries will thrive and the country will progress, adding that cooperation between Pakistan Railways and the Punjab government is growing.

Abbasi said that the prime minister has assigned a special task to accelerate railway reforms. A total of 400 kilometres of new track is being laid, while 484 kilometres (km) are being rehabilitated. Around Rs2 billion has been allocated for upgrading the Lahore-Rawalpindi single track, with plans to reduce travel time between the two cities to two-and-a-half hours. Development work is underway at major stations including Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Rohri. Approval for the Rohri-Karachi upgrade project, worth Rs2 billion, will be granted in July. The Narowal section and Lodhran station are also being improved, while a plantation drive covering 2,500km from Shahdara to Raiwind will help enhance the environment.

He noted that Pakistan is the only country where passenger revenue exceeds freight revenue, and efforts are underway to correct this imbalance. Railway hospitals and schools are being outsourced, while the private sector will be permitted to operate its own locomotives using track access. Additional coal trains are being introduced, and the railway will ensure efficient transportation of industrial materials, including output from the Reko Diq project.

For the uplift of Balochistan’s railway network, Rs3.5 billion has been allocated. The Jaffar Express continues to operate despite terrorism threats. Abbasi said that railway revenues are consistently increasing and will continue to rise.

LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Saigol said it is essential to strengthen the transport sector, describing transport as the “oxygen of any economy”. He noted that around 60 per cent of Pakistan’s goods are transported to up-country regions, but an ineffective railway freight system has kept industries under pressure.

He appreciated the reopening of the Badami Bagh warehouses as a business-friendly move and said that while improving facilities at railway stations is commendable, the real benefit will come only when operations and service delivery meet global standards.