Pakistan Railways plans to launch a high-speed express train between Lahore and Karachi, similar to the Green Line Express which runs between Islamabad and Karachi via Lahore.
“The main objective of this new train service is to provide advanced amenities and enhanced travel experience to passengers,” said a Railway Ministry official.
Currently, the official said, teams from relevant departments are working on preparations for the launch of this modern train, which is expected to begin by the end of January next year.
The official highlighted that Pakistan Railways is focused on improving passenger services and using new technologies to produce coaches locally, which will eliminate the need for imports.
Furthermore, he said the department was working to improve the quality and cleanliness of food to ensure a comfortable and clean environment for passengers.
The Green Express Line, inaugurated in 2015 by the then Prime Minister at Margalla Station in Islamabad, currently takes around 20 hours to travel from Islamabad to Karachi Cantonment Station, with stops at key locations such such as Rawalpindi, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Sukkar/Rohri, Hyderabad and Drigh Road.
The official said that the train offers different classes, including AC class, AC class and economy class, as well as a modern dining car offering high-quality services.
Pakistan Railways has outsourced the commercial management of 13 trains, as well as brake and baggage vans, for better efficiency and higher revenue, Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Muhammad Usman Awaisi had told the Assembly nationally at the beginning of the month.
Awaisi claimed that the decisions were taken to optimize the utilization of available resources, which increased the railways’ revenue, adding that it reached Rs 946 million in the financial year 2023-24.
Awaisi explained that these gains were possible through the implementation of financial restructuring plans aimed at reducing operational costs, optimizing revenue generation and improving financial discipline.
Considering the strategies adopted and measures taken to realize the benefits, it was stated that a load optimization strategy was adopted, which involved operating full trains based on the carrying capacity of the locomotives.
Passenger trains were operated with an average of 19 coaches, which had generated a turnover of 43.512 billion rupees (7.763 billion rupees above the target), News reported.
Freight trains with a load of 3,400 tonnes increased freight revenue to 25.025 billion rupees (2.699 billion rupees above the target). Passenger and freight rates have been indexed to the price of fuel. The pricing decision is based on market dynamics.
The e-ticketing application “Automated Booking and Rail Travel Assistance” (Rabta) has also been introduced to facilitate customer convenience and improve service delivery. After the approval of the Railway Land and Property Rules 2023, Rs 3.246 billion was generated from land rental.
The parliamentary secretary said the railways had drawn up long-term strategic plans to revitalize the sector, improve quality of service, strengthen safety standards and ensure sustainability of revenue generation.
He said the upgrade of ML-1, which is a rail link between Karachi and Peshawar, will increase the capacity of the line from 34 to 100 and 20 trains per day.
Awaisi informed the House that 80 new high capacity freight wagons and 32 standard AC passenger coaches would also be introduced this year to increase revenue.