ISLAMABAD, Mar 03 (APP):Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Tuesday informed the House that, under the directives of the Prime Minister, a decision has been taken to upgrade the 48-kilometre Karachi–Rohri railway section, with work on laying a new track expected to commence by the end of July.
Responding to a question during question hour, the minister said Pakistan Railways has witnessed consistent growth in freight and passenger revenues over the past few years, reflecting gradual financial improvement in the department.
He said freight earnings stood at Rs 23 billion in 2020–21, Rs 17 billion in 2022–23, and Rs 28 billion in 2023–24. During the ongoing fiscal year 2024–25, freight revenue has reached approximately Rs 31.73 billion, he added.
Sharing passenger revenue figures, he said the department earned Rs 30 billion in 2020–21, which increased to Rs 34 billion in 2022–23 and Rs 49 billion in 2023–24. The upward trend has continued in the current fiscal year, he added.
The minister said the improvement indicates that Pakistan Railways is moving in the right direction. He emphasized that the next target is to further strengthen the freight sector, aiming for a turnaround by expanding freight operations relative to passenger services, while passenger operations would continue to be subsidized.
Clarifying a figure of Rs 62 billion mentioned during a supplementary question, Abbasi said the amount relates to pension payments covered through government grants.
He said if pension liabilities are excluded, Pakistan Railways posted a profit of around Rs 3 billion during the first nine months of fiscal year 2024–25.
He said reforms and infrastructure development cannot be achieved overnight, particularly as railway tracks dating back to 1861 and 1871 require replacement.
The minister expressed confidence that with sustained efforts and strategic planning, Pakistan Railways would continue its journey towards financial stability and operational efficiency.