Railway minister announces expansion, modernisation plans

LAHORE, Jul 17 (APP): Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi on Friday announced an ambitious expansion and modernisation plan for Pakistan Railways after inaugurating the restored Bulleh Shah Passenger Train, saying several new train services, station upgrades and infrastructure projects would be launched to improve rail travel across the country.

Addressing a media briefing after the inauguration ceremony, the minister said the Bulleh Shah Passenger Train had been restored after remaining suspended for 15 years despite strong public demand. He said Pakistan Railways was steadily moving towards progress and more train services would be restored as resources became available. He announced that the Ravi Express would be relaunched later this month, while preparations were also underway to start a Lahore-Wagah train service.

Hanif Abbasi said Pakistan Railways would induct 64 new passenger coaches instead of the previously planned 32, while 43 GEU locomotives would be overhauled and dedicated to freight operations. He expressed confidence that the department’s performance would improve by at least 32 per cent.

The minister said Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had allocated Rs2 billion for the upgradation of Lahore Railway Station, while the Punjab government would also finance the Shahdara-Raiwind railway project. He added that Khanewal, Rawalpindi and Gujranwala railway stations had already been upgraded to state-of-the-art standards.

Highlighting safety initiatives, Hanif Abbasi said Pakistan Railways had signed an agreement with the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) to develop Safe and Smart Railway Stations. He said 184 surveillance cameras had already been installed at Rawalpindi Railway Station, while Lahore, Multan, Khanewal and Karachi railway stations would also be equipped with modern surveillance systems in the second phase of the project.

The minister said the government was engaging with the Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments to install railway crossing gates across the provinces, adding that the ML-1 and ML-3 railway projects would be completed during the present government’s tenure.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Railways Malik Rashid Ahmad said he had raised the demand for restoring the Lahore-Pakpattan train service three months ago, adding that the suspension of the Bulleh Shah Passenger Train for 15 years had caused serious difficulties for people of the region. He said Pakistan Railways’ revenue had increased to Rs115 billion and urged the public to support the national railway by purchasing tickets and ensuring the Bulleh Shah Passenger Train continued operating successfully.