ISLAMABAD, NOV 22: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday called for the engagement of legal and economic experts of international caliber, particularly for projects related to regional connectivity and Pakistan Railways’ international train routes.
During a high-level meeting at the PM House, he emphasised that a modern and efficient rail network is the backbone of any nation’s economy and communication system.
He highlighted the need for Pakistan to adopt global best practices to enhance its railway infrastructure and expand its role in regional transport corridors.
PM Shehbaz urged officials to accelerate reforms, improve operational efficiency, and ensure that upcoming mega projects are executed with professional oversight to meet international benchmarks.
He further stressed that a public-private partnership model should be adopted for matters related to railway property and land.
The prime minister also appreciated the steps taken towards the restoration of the railway system and commended Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi and his team for their work on the revival and upgradation of Pakistan Railways.
The meeting was attended by Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, and other senior government officials, the PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the measures being taken to improve Pakistan Railways.
It was informed that seven digital portals under the ‘Rabta’ initiative were operational for the digitalisation of Pakistan Railways, 56 trains had been shifted onto it, and 54 railway stations had been digitised.
The participants were informed that a free Wi-Fi facility was provided at Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad railway stations, while an additional 48 stations would get free Wi-Fi service by 31 December this year.
It was further informed that an online freight booking system had been introduced. A pilot project for a digital weighing bridge was launched at Karachi City Railway Station, whereas in the next phase, this facility would be extended to Pipri, Karachi Cantonment, Port Qasim, Lahore, and Rawalpindi stations.
It was added that at Rawalpindi Railway Station, 148 AI-powered surveillance cameras had been installed. ATM machines of various banks were being installed at the railway stations.
To improve cleanliness standards, outsourcing was done while high-quality waiting areas were established at major railway stations for passengers, it was added.
The meeting was told that information desks at the railway stations had also been set up for passengers’ convenience.
“To improve the quality of food and beverages provided at railway stations, relevant food authorities from all four provinces had been given access and oversight. Forty luggage and brake vans had also been outsourced, which was expected to provide an additional revenue of Rs820 million. Outsourcing of two cargo express trains was also underway, expected to generate Rs6.3bn in additional revenue, the briefing added.
The meeting was informed that four trains had been outsourced, and advertisements were floated for outsourcing eleven more trains soon, which was expected to generate an additional revenue of Rs8.5 billion.
The meeting was apprised that work is underway on outsourcing railway hospitals in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, and Sukkur, while the outsourcing of railway schools, colleges, and rest houses is also continuing. The dry ports in Lahore, Islamabad, and Azakhail were also being outsourced. A total of 155 railway stations had been shifted to solar energy.
It was reported that Railway Constructions Pakistan Limited, Pakistan Railway Freight Transportation Company, and Pakistan Railway Advisory & Consultancy Services had been closed.
The participants were briefed that a plan is being formulated for the upgradation of the Karachi–Kotri section of Main Line-1-K and Main Line-3.
The meeting was briefed that work would be carried out with the Sindh government on the Thar Rail Connectivity project, and the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train would also begin operations soon. Preliminary work is also underway on the Kazakhstan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railroad project.
