ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has announced to run five special trains to provide travel facilities to the public on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Talking to the media in Islamabad, he said that the aim of these special trains is to control the increasing rush of passengers on Eid and provide easy and safe travel to the public.
He said that Pakistan Railways has earned a historic revenue of Rs 83 billion so far in the financial year 2024-25, of which Rs 42 billion was earned from passenger services, Rs 29 billion from freight services, and Rs 13 billion from other sources.
Hanif Abbasi said that the Railways is now paying salaries to its employees itself, which is an important step towards the self-sufficiency of the institution. He said that the preparation of 1413 new wagons is underway in the railways, which will be added to the system soon so that the freight system can be expanded. The federal minister announced that a new passenger train service will be started from Lahore to Narowal from June 15, while a special freight train will also depart from Lahore to Russia on the same day, which will pass through Multan, Sindh, and border areas.
Hanif Abbasi said that Pakistan Railways needs to be modernized for the transportation of Reko Diq and Thar coal so that national projects can be fully supported. He said that the world is earning billions of rupees from freight services; we also have to adopt modern business models. He said that according to the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, railway assets are being outsourced, including the Royal Palm Club, Railway Hospital, and 14 schools, so that their performance can be improved and the financial burden can be reduced.
