ISLAMABAD: The number of Pakistan Railways passengers has crossed 10 million mark during the last two years mainly due to improved facilities and services.
The government has envisaged vision 2025 targeting Pakistan Railways sector to enhance its market share from 4 percent to 20 percent.
Secretary Railway Board, Aftab Akbar told APP that the continuous and untiring efforts of Railways minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and dedication of staff and workers had played a vital role in achieving the targets. He said the minister’s motivation had made the administration and workers more confident.
The authorities concerned have taken, and are taking, a number of steps both at macro and micro level to benefit the Organisation and public at large. Aftab Akbar said these reformatory steps include making functional the Railway Board, rationalization of the staff, restructuring of administrative hierarchy and upgradation of the post of General Manager Operations.
It is pertinent to mention that e-governance is being introduced in Railways ministry to make working more efficient while infrastructures (track fitness) plan to raise the speed of trains up to 140 K.M per hour has been prepared and being implemented in phases.
High capacity stocks like freight wagons, hopper trucks and boggy oil tank wagons is being procured to enhance line capacity and improve turn round of the trains.
Aftab Akbar said Pakistan Railways was also working on a project to ensure provision of clean drinking water facility to its employees and passengers. Regarding reform in railway police, he said police was being trained on modern lines and were being provided with state-of-the-art equipments. According to official documents available with APP, the government has allocated a sum of Rs. 41 million under Public Sector Development Project (PSDP) for Railways division in the current fiscal year.
Moreover, Rs882 million were allocated for Acquisition of Land for Railways Container Yard Station and Railway Line from Sea port up to coastal highway at Gwadar, Rs2,795 million were allocated for Mechanization of Track Maintenance while Rs1,000 million had been earmarked for procurement and manufacture of 75 Nos new DE locomotives.
“The Ministry of Railways revenue was Rs18 billion in 2012-13, Rs23 billion in 2013-2014 and now the management expects an income of Rs31 billion by the end of current financial year against the target of Rs28 billion,” said a ministry official on the condition of anonymity.
He said in 2012-13, Railways earned Rs. 1 billion from freight services but this year it was going to earn Rs. 8 billion under this head.
Upgradation of Mainline-1 (ML1) and construction of dry port and cargo handling facility had been included as Early Harvest Projects (EHP) under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and preparatory work on these projects has been initiated on fast track basis, he added.
The official said the ministry of railways had launched a cargo train service between Pakistan and Iran to promote trade between the two countries, adding Pakistan Railways would complete management work of its land record under modern arrangements with an aim to evaluate exact position of PR land across the country by June 2016.
