On the right track

Pakistan Railways (PR) is working on rehabilitation of 27 locomotives to help improve business operation and control deficit and losses.
The department would receive spare parts within 13 months from date of effectiveness of the contract, signed in July this year. According to Pakistan Railways, the percentage of success gained by the government to control losses of Pakistan Railways during the last four years till date cannot be determined at this stage because of fact that the projects at hand and those in the pipeline for controlling the losses are highly capital and time extensive. The projects will take considerable time and as such no measurable answer can be given at this stage. When contacted, an official on Monday said in order to improve business operation for controlling the deficit and losses, a number of agreements have been made for rehabilitation of locomotives and added the project of rehabilitation and procurement of locomotives are highly time consuming and capital extensive. However, he said on completion of this project, Pakistan Railways will be in a position to increase its revenue base and cut its deficit to a considerable level.
Highlighting the measures adopted to increase revenue, the official said commercial management of two Mail/Express trains i.e. Business Train and Shalimar have been outsourced to private parties this year while three new Dry Ports are being established in Public Private sector out of which one i.e. Prem Nagar has been inaugurated while the other two at Aza Khel and Multan are in process. He said the initiative of extension of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) train will further strengthen the rail business and augment the revenue generation. Steps are underway to outsource the commercial management of Subk Raftar and Subk Kharam Railcars running between Rawalpindi – Lahore, he said, adding that Pakistan Railways was working on commercial management of new train between Lahore – Karachi via Faisalabad.