Sheikh Rashid announces 10pc cut in freight trains fare

LAHORE:Federal Minister for Pakistan Railways Sheikh Rashid announced 10 per cent reduction in fares of freight trains in a press conference here on Thursday.

He said the fares of freight trains are being cut by 10 per cent. He said the Main Line One, which envisaged 1,872 kilometre-long new track from Karachi to Lahore, will be a historic project in the 72-year history of the country. It will generate 100,000 job opportunities, he added. Sheikh Rashid Ahmad the track without any railway crossing or gate will be laid on Main Line-1 (ML-1) with the cooperation of China.

Talking to the media at the inaugural ceremony of Railways Cuisine at the railway station, he said the train would complete its journey from Lahore to Karachi in six hours and from Rawalpindi to Karachi in eight hours after the completion of the ML-1. He said that a Railway Food Court would also be introduced from December 25 and the railways would be able to compete in private sector in food.

To a question, he said heirs of the Tezgam Express incident would be given Rs2.1m each as Rs 1.5m of insurance, Rs 0.5m from the PM Fund and Rs100,000 each from the minister’s fund will be given.