Latest news with #BusinessExpress
Express Tribune
17-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
PR hikes passenger fares after diesel price surge
Pakistan Railways (PR) has increased passenger train fares by 2% following a rise in diesel prices. The freight sector has also seen adjustments, with coal rates up by 3% and fertiliser rates by 2%, officials confirmed, Express News reported. The price of diesel surged by Rs 11.37 per litre, imposing an additional daily cost of Rs 3.99 million and a monthly burden of around Rs 119.5 million on the state-owned operator. Pakistan Railways consumes approximately 350,000 litres of diesel per day. Meanwhile, PR is preparing to relaunch the refurbished Pak Business Express, a once-celebrated public-private partnership (PPP) train service that later collapsed due to operational and financial issues. Read: PR gears up for new Business Express The prime minister is expected to inaugurate the revamped train in the coming days, promising upgraded coaches, better seating, Wi-Fi, and improved catering. Launched in 2012 under a PPP between Pakistan Railways and Four Brothers Group, the train was intended to modernise travel on the Lahore-Karachi route. The private partner managed onboard services while PR provided locomotives and track access. However, the venture faced internal resistance from the railway bureaucracy and financial mismanagement by the private firm. Payment defaults led to legal disputes, and by 2015, PR took full control, ending the partnership.
Express Tribune
29-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Passengers abandon trains for buses amid rail chaos
Facing a surge in derailments, sudden train cancellations and long delays, a growing number of passengers have begun abandoning Pakistan Railways in favour of luxury bus services. The shift in travel preferences has left the railways operating with reduced passenger numbers, often merging the bookings of two or three trains into one journey due to low occupancy. According to official railway data, over the past month, multiple Up and Down trains, including major routes like Karachi, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, have been suspended without prior notice. Notable among the cancelled services are Shah Hussain Business Express and the Shalimar Express. Affected passengers are being accommodated in other trains, such as the Green Line, which itself is frequently delayed. Officials cite an aging railway infrastructure as a key factor. Many tracks, especially in smaller cities and remote regions, are over a century old. Lack of timely maintenance has led to an increase in accidents, derailments, and collisions with trolleys and other vehicles at unguarded crossings. The decaying state of the railway's physical assets has significantly eroded public trust in the service. Adding to passenger frustration are the appalling conditions at railway stations. Waiting areas are overcrowded or nearly non-existent, many platforms are over 100 years old and lack adequate space for passengers and their families, and sanitation is a major issue. Toilets are foul-smelling and often unusable, while food vendors charge exorbitant prices for poor-quality items. Despite repeated visits and surprise inspections by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi and directives to improve services, conditions have barely improved. Passenger Rehan Hashim, who was scheduled to travel to Karachi, told Express News: "We were shocked to learn our Business Express was canceled. They shifted us to Green Line, which was four hours late. There was no proper waiting area, and the heat was unbearable. Rail travel used to be enjoyable, but now it's a humiliating experience despite paying thousands. Traveling by coach is far better." While Pakistan Railways claims that passenger numbers typically dip during pre-summer vacation months and expects traffic to pick up once schools close, passengers and analysts argue that service quality, not the season, is driving the decline. Officials insist that food quality and station facilities are being upgraded in coordination with the Punjab Food Authority. Yet passengers report no visible improvements beyond short-term clean-up efforts following inspections.
