For the first time in 40 years, Pakistan Railways (PR) managed to reduce its deficit and earn Rs6 billion in revenue in the outgoing fiscal year 2013-14. A sum of Rs40 billion has been allocated for PR for the fiscal year 2014-15 to bring improvement in its system, provide better and convenient travelling facilities to passengers. 

Sixty new engines would be added by December this year while tenders had been issued to acquire another 75 engines with emphasis on coal-powered ones. Fifty of them would be coal-powered engines of 4,500 Horse Power, more powerful than the existing 3,000 HP ones.

A new train would operate from Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas, while a late-night one would operate on Multan-Lahore route. Railways would repair its main line-I from Karachi to Peshawar as part of initiatives for Pak-China Economic Corridor. MoUs have been signed for Pak-China Economic Corridor and a sum of Rs380 billion allocated for improving communications infrastructure.

Published in The Express Tribune