Pakistan Railways announced to the Senate Standing Committee on Pakistan Railways (PR) that it will be implementing a public-private partnership to bring four smart railway vehicles on various routes.
During the meeting, Secretary of Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah declared, “Pakistan Railways is committed to moving towards public-private partnerships and is planning to introduce four smart railway cars for routes between Lahore-Islamabad, Lahore-Faisalabad, Lahore-Multan, and Karachi-Hyderabad at a cost of around $45 million.”
He mentioned that private parties will donate a portion of the profits to maintain the tracks as part of this public-private cooperation. Senators Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Kamil Ali Agha, and Dost Ali Jessar were present at the meeting, which was presided over by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan. Other high-ranking officials were attended. Shah gave the committee an update on the ministry’s performance and operations. According to him, railroads are 72% more ecologically friendly and 62% safer than roadways.
He emphasized that by reducing the cost of oil imports, railroads can have a positive economic impact. The nation’s first transport strategy, which aims to offer safe, inexpensive, efficient, durable, and environmentally friendly transportation, was only formulated in 2018, despite its potential. Pakistan Railways was currently attempting to become self-sufficient by growing its market share from 8% to 30%, but funding limitations were impeding the company’s efforts.
The secretary pointed out that just 5% of the railway budget went toward maintenance, with the majority (95%) going into fuel, salaries, and pensions. Pension-related obligations are estimated to be roughly Rs. 62 billion for the fiscal year 2024–2025.
In addition to asking the federal government to include railroad pensions in the national account, Pakistan Railways has taken steps to reduce operating costs.Speaking about the ML-1 project, the secretary revealed that the $6.68 billion ML-1 upgrade project has been approved by ECNEC.
The railway track from Karachi to Multan will be upgraded in the first phase, while the track from Multan to Peshawar will be upgraded in the second phase. The committee made the decision to visit the railway workshops in Lahore and Islamabad to assess their performance and to have an exclusive meeting on the ML-1 project.
