Hollow slogans can’t bring about change: Saad

LAHORE

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said it needs day and night work to bring real betterment and prosperity and sheer hollow slogans, empty talks and tall claims cannot bring about change in society. 

Speaking to the officials in public sector development projects meeting at Railways Headquarters office here Friday, he said Pakistan Railways is entering a new era of development and fortune. In a short span of three years, Pakistan Railways' dedicated team has doubled its income from Rs18 billion to Rs36 billion, he added. We have gone through very tough times to achieve this milestone and we are striving our best to bring threefold increase in revenue, the minister said, adding, we have all the capacity and will make it surplus revenue generating and successful organisation.

According to a press release, Kh Saad said new powerful engines have become part of our locomotive fleet, we have expedited the upgradation of our coaches, after Shalimar and Pakistan Express we will soon bring rehabilitated coaches on tracks of Jaffar, Awam, Allama Iqbal and Zakriya Express as per upgradation schedule. He said that railways is not only building new stations and rehabilitating the old ones but is prepared for upgradation of Main Line-1 which is linked with PM's upcoming visit to China.

The minister repeated that no flexibility would be shown on criminal negligence, we cannot allow anyone to play with the lives of the people, department is bound to fix the responsibility of recent accidents and give exemplary punishments to the culprits. He asked the officers to expedite the mechanisation of tracks and conversion of passenger coaches from 110 volts to 220 volts within the given time frame. We should build our internal capacity and get ready to face the challenges before CPEC becomes fully operative.