Pakistan Railways is a state-owned, national railway company based in Lahore. With 7,791 kilometres of track, it provides both passenger and freight service. The company was founded in 1861 and is headquartered in Lahore. To date, it has employed approximately 1.3 million people.
The decline of Pakistan Railways
In an effort to curb the decline of Pakistan Railways, the government has proposed a development plan, Vision 2025. The plan seeks to increase the railways’ share in the country’s transportation network to 20 percent by 2025. Currently, the railways transport less than 10% of all inland freight.
The Railways’ revenue has declined by 25% and its operating expenses have increased by 33 percent. Employee costs accounted for nearly two-thirds of the Railways’ revenue in 2011-12. Increasing expenses are the result of inflation, depreciating infrastructure, and the availability of subsidized railway fares. The rise in expenses has hampered any attempts to improve rail equipment.
Privatizing the railways has become a major issue for the government of Pakistan. Most Pakistanis cannot afford air-transport because of the high fares. Privatizing the country’s oldest transport system is going to adversely impact the lives of many citizens. The railways are a vital part of the country’s economy, so it is vital that they remain public.
Pakistan Railways used to be a national pride and a model for other public bodies. However, its operations have deteriorated due to poor planning, inefficiency in resources management, and faulty decision-making. Today, the railways have become a huge burden on the national exchequer.
Operations
Pakistan Railways have a lot of work ahead of them to regain lost momentum. It needs to complete key projects on time and meet passenger expectations. It also needs to increase its freight strength. The current management has moved on from the debacle years of 2008-13 and is looking for ways to turn the railways around.
The Railways have announced plans to restart train services in affected areas in phases. The initial plan is to restore passenger train operations to the affected areas within three to four days. However, the actual resumption of full operations could take a little longer. PR teams are currently working on the railway tracks.
The railways’ board has decided to restore train services by the first week of October. The decision was taken through a video link. The meeting was presided over by Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique. The train services were suspended after the floods, but now, two trains will resume operation in the first phase. The Khyber Mail and Rehman Baba expresses will resume operations from October 2. The Karakoram express and Pak business express will resume on October 5. All the trains will run with extra coaches.
The train fleet is now up to 55 coaches. This includes 12 AC business class coaches, one sleeper coach, 30 economy class coaches, five brake vans, and two dining coaches. The new coaches will cost Rs 17 billion and will further improve the efficiency of the railways.
Manufacturing
The first batch of 50 new passenger coaches will be delivered to Pakistan Railways in December. This is part of a wider project to improve passenger facilities and roll stock. The first 50 coaches will be fully-built units, with the remaining 184 being manufactured in Pakistan by the railway department’s engineers and technical staff under the supervision of Chinese experts.
The railway industry in Pakistan has undergone a dramatic rise and fall over the last six decades. Investment in railways was poor under successive governments, who favored road infrastructure. Other factors that have contributed to the decline of railways include poor management and human resources, political interference and decrepit infrastructure. This has impacted the quality of service.
Pakistan Railways has begun to build new locomotives, aiming to improve capacity and remove bottlenecks in the shunting and placement of freight trains. This will allow more trains to operate. The new locomotives will be based at departure yards in Lahore and Karachi. The new locomotives are specially designed shunting locomotives, considered to be the backbone of train formation and train rake replacement at the platform.
In the future, the country’s rail network will be modernized, with the speed of trains increasing from 65 to 120 km per hour to around 160 kilometers per hour. A total of five rail corridors are planned. China has promised to provide 90 percent of the financing needed to complete the project. Pakistan approached the Exim Bank of China last year to get assistance in the railway sector. In return, the Chinese Railway agreed to supply the Pakistan Railways with 1,300 freight cars. At least eighty percent of these cars will be manufactured at Pakistan Railways’ Moghalpura Railway Workshops in Lahore.
Welfare
The Federal Minister for Railways, Azam Khan Swati, has said that the resources should be used for the welfare of the country and Rs 40 billion will be spent for the improvement of the railways. He was speaking at a press conference at the City Railways Station and said that his top priority is to restore the trains and make them reach the destinations on time.
There are three major departments within the Pakistan Railways. The Engineering Department oversees engineering and design. The Purchasing and Stores Division oversees purchasing and stores. The Traffic Department is in charge of passenger facilities. The Pakistan Railways Academy is under the Operations unit. In addition to this, the Railways also runs a freight train between Karachi and Istanbul.
PR management has also initiated a fund to help jobless porters. A total of Rs10,000 has already been given out to 400 porters under the first phase. This money is provided by the Akhuwat Foundation and the Khwaja Rafique Shaheed Foundation. This amount is equivalent to a day’s salary for a railway employee. Similar funds will be distributed to the remaining 400 porters in the second and third phases.
Imran Khan has announced that the Pakistan Railways would undergo far-reaching reforms. These changes will benefit the common man. As a part of these reforms, he has also inaugurated the Azakhel Dry Port, which is located eight kilometers from Nowshera. The new port will provide quality transportation services. The new facility was built with an estimated budget of Rs 507 million.
Special initiatives
A number of special initiatives are underway in Pakistan Railways. The railway ministry has announced the introduction of new locomotives and the procurement of additional freight trains. The new locomotives are expected to consume less fuel than the older models and will also cost less to maintain. The first 15 locomotives will be manufactured in China, while the remaining locomotives will be assembled in Pakistan using parts provided by China. The railways are also increasing the number of freight trains from eight to twenty.
In order to improve the quality of service for passengers, the railways have announced a number of special initiatives. These include reducing the number of train ticket dodgers and introducing new technology in railways. In addition to these, the railways have announced that they will make structural changes in their train systems. In addition, five railway companies will be divided into two new companies. The railways have also completed an experiment in implementing a tracking system in locomotives. The tracking system is expected to be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan next week. It will allow citizens to monitor and trace their train with ease.
The project is being implemented on a BOT basis. The Government of Pakistan has provided the required capital and financial backing to finance the project. The government is also providing the Capital Viability Gap Funding to enhance the project’s bankability and viability. Moreover, the private sector will be provided with a Minimum Revenue Guarantee (MRG) in the initial operational years and the right to undertake commercial development at KCR stations to supplement the fare revenues.
Fuel shortage
In the wake of the floods that hit the country, the Pakistan Railways is facing a severe fuel shortage. As a result, many trains have been unable to operate. This is leading to a financial crisis for the railways. The engine sheds in Lahore, for example, only have 90 thousand litres of diesel on hand. At the Faisalabad station, the administration is only able to provide enough diesel for two passenger trains and one dedicated freight train.
The fuel shortage is affecting trains in different divisions. In Faisalabad, the shortage is so severe that fuel will not last for one day. Diesel is also in short supply in Multan and Sukkur divisions. According to Pakistan Railways sources, only 90,000 liters of diesel is available for these two stations. As a result, the railways will be unable to generate monthly income.
The shortage of diesel has caused major disruption in the train service. The lack of passengers has affected the revenue of the railways, with only a few trains able to run on a daily basis. The lack of revenue has left the railways unable to meet their monthly targets. The lack of diesel has also affected the operation of freight trains and one train between Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Due to the fuel shortage, Pakistan Railways’ management has decided to hike fares across all routes. The increase will be as high as 15 percent. This will go into effect on Monday.
