Kohat Rail Car service earns Rs12.5m profit in three months

PESHAWAR: The Kohat Rail Car service earned a profit of Rs12.5 million in nearly three months of the restoration of the service between Kohat and Rawalpindi, an official said on Thursday.

The Rail Car service was abandoned in May 2013 as the ministry was in loss and no longer able to continue the passenger service. The rail service was restored after the track and Kohat Railways Station was overhauled with an estimated cost of Rs55 million.

Under the project furnished waiting rooms, washroom, water purification plants and other services were arranged for passengers at the Kohat Railways Station. The speed of the Rail Car service was increased from 40km to 60 kilometer per hour after the repair and other work done on the railway track, which reduced the travel time from Kohat to Rawalpindi by two hours.

The status of the rail car was also upgraded from mix-passengers service to Express Train and the number of passenger coaches was also raised to nine from four coaches in 2013. Over 1,100 passengers are being benefited from the resumption of the service on daily bases. The train leaves the Kohat Railways Station at 7:30am and reaches Rawalpindi at 11:30am. It leaves the Rawalpindi Station for Kohat at 3pm the same day and reaches its destination at 7:30pm.

Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique had inaugurated the restoration of the Kohat Rail Care service on January 24 last. Divisional Traffic Officer (DTO) Peshawar Railways Station Anwar Sadaat Marwat said that over 95,000 passengers travelled between Koaht and Rawalpindi in nearly three months after the restoration of the service.

He said that improved facilities, low and affordable fares and timely arrival and departures of the Rail Care attracted huge number of passengers to use the rails for travel. He said that good food, cold and hot water, Wifi and other services were provided to passengers of the Rail Car service.

The official hoped that the ongoing rehabilitation and up-gradation of the Railways would help reduce the losses and once again make the facility a profitable station entity in future.