Pakistan Railways Unveils Major Modernization Drive
FAISALABAD – Pakistan Railways is rolling out a series of short- and long-term projects across the country to modernize its operations, in line with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi announced on Sunday during a visit to Faisalabad railway station.
Abbasi said ticketing has been fully digitized, a real-time train tracking system is operational, ATMs have been installed at major stations, and Wi-Fi services will soon be available at 40 Punjab railway stations with the support of the provincial government.
The minister revealed that several services will be outsourced by September 30, including 9 to 11 passenger and freight trains, guest houses, special saloons, hospitals, schools, and other facilities. He said the move aims to improve service quality and boost revenue.
Special saloons, once reserved for officials, have now been opened to the public at affordable rates.
Abbasi added that cleanliness at key stations has been outsourced to solid waste management companies, while food quality will be directly monitored by provincial food authorities.
Highlighting major investment plans, he said the Punjab government is spending Rs 50 billion on railway development, including upgrades to eight routes. Another Rs 250 billion is allocated for a new double-track and modern signaling system between Lahore and Rawalpindi, which will cut travel time to as little as two hours.
Other initiatives include the Shahdara–Raiwind linear park, station upgrades in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Taxila, and track improvements from Sheikh Zaid to Kuchlak in Balochistan.
Under an agreement with the Sindh government, Rohri Station will be upgraded, while Karachi’s newly modernized station is set to be inaugurated on September 10.
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