Pakistan Railways is gearing up to launch ‘Eid Special Trains’ ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr to accommodate the surge in travelers and enable individuals to celebrate the Islamic occasion with their families nationwide.
An official from the Ministry of Railways disclosed, “All arrangements for the Eid Special Trains have been finalized to ensure passenger convenience, with an official announcement imminent.”
The official highlighted that the schedule for the Eid Special Trains would be extensively publicized through print media in Urdu and English, along with dissemination across social and electronic platforms.
Expressing the significance of these special trains, the official noted that many foreign nationals, students, government employees, and laborers prefer train travel to reunite with their families during Eid festivities. Consequently, Pakistan Railways has consistently operated special trains during this period.
In financial updates, the official revealed that despite grappling with a financial setback due to monsoon floods, Pakistan Railways has recorded substantial earnings of Rs 55 billion in the initial eight months of the current fiscal year (2023-24). This marks a significant increase compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year (2022-23), where earnings stood at Rs 37 billion.
The revenue, primarily generated from passenger and freight trains, underscores the department’s overall financial resilience. Anticipating further growth, the department aims to achieve revenues of up to Rs 80 billion by the fiscal year-end, attributing the success to the diligent efforts of railway staff.
Currently, Pakistan Railways operates 96 passenger trains, up from the previous year’s count of 86, while freight train operations have increased from an average of 3.75 to seven trains.
Addressing employee concerns, the official assured that salary payment delays have been resolved, with anticipated improvements once the Mainline-I (ML-I) project commences.
Moreover, in response to inflationary pressures, especially heightened fuel costs, Pakistan Railways has adjusted fares for both passenger and freight segments, aiming to bolster revenue streams in the coming months.
