Pakistan Railway (PR) has decided to hand over three passenger trains to private sector to continue its mail train operations.
According to the PR authorities, it has received a satisfactory response from private sector to get Allama Iqbal Express, Millat Express and Farid Express on contract, adding that PR would earn Rs 2,000,000 per day from Allama Iqbal Express, Rs 700,000 per day from Farid Express and Rs 500,000 per day from Millat Express.
Sources said Allama Iqbal, Farid and Millat Express will be handed over to private companies after Eidul Adha. They said that a briefing was given to Prime Miniter Yousuf Raza Gilani in this regard on Thursday by the PR authorities, seeking a formal permission.
The Allama Iqbal Express runs from Sialkot to Karachi via Lahore, Farid Express runs from Lahore to Karachi via Pakpatan, while Millat express runs from Sargodha to Karachi via Faisalabad.
The PR will provide engines, track and bogies, while the rest of the arrangements will be the responsibility of the private stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Business Train has been handed over to the private sector, which will become operational in December. PR General Manager (GM) Saeed Akhtar told reporters that the private sector will be responsible for commercial management, while the responsibility of operations of trains would rest with the PR.
He said that the Business Train would be air conditioned, non-stop passenger train from Lahore to Karachi. Sources said that an agreement has already been finalized with an entrepreneurs’ group named Friends for running Business Train and its revamping was underway.
