A two-day meeting of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on Railways, chaired by Chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, was held in Lahore on Thursday.
The meeting focused on reviewing performance and progress of Pakistan Railways and included comprehensive briefings, site visits, and discussions on improving railway operations.
On the first day, the committee was given detailed briefings on the functioning of various departments of Pakistan Railways. The sessions were held at the offices of the Divisional Superintendent Lahore and Divisional Superintendent Workshops Mughalpura. Divisional Superintendent Lahore Hanif Gul provided an in-depth overview of the division’s performance, operational challenges, and achievements.
The committee members, led by Chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan, also visited the Lahore Railway Station and the Old Diesel Locomotive Shed. They inspected the facilities provided at the railway station, lauding the Police Helpline Center and the newly established Executive Washroom, which was constructed under a public-private partnership. Chairman Rai Hassan Nawaz Khan emphasized the importance of ensuring the timely arrival and departure of trains and directed railway officials to take necessary measures in this regard.
During their visit to the Old Engine Shed Lahore, the members appreciated the installation of a modern fuel management system developed in collaboration with PSO.
The committee also attended a meeting at the Workshops Mughalpura, where Chairman Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah briefed them on various initiatives, including railway procurement, repair and maintenance operations, periodic overhauling of coaches, and the development of freight wagons equipped with modern technology. DS Mughalpura Kashif Farooq Butt also provided a detailed presentation on the structure and performance of the workshops.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Assembly Standing Committee, including Abrar Ahmed, Waseem Qadir, Zulfiqar Sattar Bachani, Ramesh Lal, Muhammad Ilyas Chaudhry, Syed Shah Ahad Ali Shah, Muhammad Jamal Ahsan Khan, and Shafqat Abbas. Senior officials from Pakistan Railways, including Chairman Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah and CEO Pakistan Railways Amir Ali Baloch, were also present.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has earned an amount of Rs46 billion in the first six months of the current fiscal year 2024-25 due to the organization’s effective policies which reflects the institution’s positive trajectory.
“The department has achieved a revenue of Rs46 billion in the first half of the fiscal year, marking an increase of Rs5 billion as compared to the same period last year,” an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP.
As per the figure, he said Pakistan Railways has generated Rs24 billion from passenger trains and Rs16 billion from freight services while Rs6 billion was earned through land leases, coaching, and other sources.
To a question, the official said around 41.91 million passengers traveled by train during 2023-24 compared to 35.40 million in 2022-23 – an increase of 6.51 million in the annual count.
He said a total passenger earning in the fiscal year 2023-24 was Rs. 47.712 billion, exceeding the budgetary target by a margin of Rs. 8.712 billion. Besides, there is an increase in earnings by Rs. 13.799 billion as compared to the earnings of the previous financial year 2022-23.
The official said Pakistan Railways has made special arrangements to facilitate passengers at stations and in trains en-route including provision of state-of-the-art dining cars, mobile charging sockets in coaches, and provision of water dispensers in coaches to provide clean drinking water to passengers.
Besides this, the department has installed Ticket Vending Machines (TVM) for purchasing tickets, information counters to guide and facilitate passengers, digital display boards for the arrival and departure of trains, and provision of wheelchairs and ramps for disabled people.
To improve the punctuality of trains, he said Pakistan Railways is removing speed restrictions through special maintenance of track, the signaling system is being improved through computerized interlocking and installation of solar system, locomotive failures are being removed through timely maintenance, and new passenger coaches are being inducted.
Redressal of passenger complaints, he said the department has established a state-of-the-art call center under Railway Automated Booking and Travelling Assistance (RABTA), passengers can also lodge their complaints on Pakistan Railways’ website, and complaint registers are also provided at stations and in trains so that the passengers can lodge their complaints.
“If a contractor is found selling substandard products, they are fined and issued a warning. Upon receiving three fines, the contractor’s agreement with Pakistan Railways is terminated,” he added.
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