Chinese team to finalise ML-1 financial plan
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE:
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways was informed on Tuesday a delegation of Chinese experts would visit Pakistan in late February and the financial plan of the Main Line (ML-1) project would be finalised. Then, the work on this project would be started immediately after bidding.
The Secretary, Ministry of Railways, provided details on the proposed 1,726-kilometer railway line from Peshawar to Karachi, with a total cost estimated at $6.8 billion.
Currently, 34 trains operate on the route, and once ML-1 is complete, 120 trains are expected to run. The project will be implemented in two phases – phase one from Karachi to Multan and phase two from Multan to Peshawar – with a Chinese delegation scheduled to visit Pakistan by the end of February.
Additionally, the secretary noted that the railways have 83 rest houses, of which 10 are out of order. According to committee chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, rest houses in Lahore are used by officers from Karachi, and those staying at these facilities often pay out of their own pockets.
Committee member Syed Wasim Hussain stressed that questions should be raised only during the agenda, saying, "There is no benefit in questioning after the agenda has ended".
He further added that the agenda should include points from all committee members, noting that "having two or three points from a single individual on the agenda is excessive".
Meanwhile, the secretary announced that "13 trains have been outsourced," a decision that has improved service quality, with revenue from outsourced trains rising from Rs7 billion to Rs11 billion. "Until the payment for seven days is made, we do not run the train."
Fairs
An increase in the prices of petroleum products has hit train passengers hard as Pakistan Railways has once again raised passenger train fares by 5%.
According to a notification issued by the rail authorities, the fare hike will take effect from February 5. The increase applies across all ticket classes, as well as to salon services and extends to all outsourced trains.
The notification has also been sent to all operational chiefs (divisional superintendents) of Lahore, Karachi, Sukkur, Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and Quetta divisions for information and implementation.
It also directs the PR's IT director to ensure implementation for advance booking and instructs the DSs to apply the updated fare table at all stations and reservation offices.
"To ensure smooth compliance, all booking and reservation offices, as well as station staff, are requested to immediately adopt these updated rates. Any discrepancies noticed by station/commercial staff must be reported to the office of the chief marketing manager and IT director through the concerned divisional commercial officer (DCO) within seven days. Failure to report any discrepancies within this time frame will lead to accountability being placed on the concerned staff," the notification warns.
Upgrades and ML-1 plans
The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Railways deliberated over the direly needed modernising of railways.
With the whole world increasingly embracing electronic rail systems, the secretary of railways announced that a new "contact application" has been developed. This app will enable passengers to book seats and access additional travel information, and when asked about the development cost, the secretary stated that "no expense was incurred".
Plans are underway to link all coaches with the contact app within five to six months. In a nod to the past, railway officials recalled that an electric train service was launched in 1979 between Lahore and Khanewal on a 286-kilometre track. However, following the shutdown of the electric train system, wires and poles were reportedly stolen.
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