LAHORE, Sept 7: The Pakistan Railways has taken another step to diminish its commercial and transport wing by deciding to hand over eight more trains to a private company, it is learnt. “The wing makes over 33 per cent of railways functioning and handing over of another five express and three other trains means transferring of more staff to the PR Advisory and Consultancy Services Ltd (PRACS),” sources say.

The trains being handed over to the PRACS from Nov 1 are Karakoram Express (41-up/42-down), Khyber Mail (1-up/2-down), Jaffar Express (39-up/40-down), two railcars (101-up/102-down and 103-up/104-down), Quetta Express (23-up/24-down), Chiltan Express (21-up/22-down) and Musa Pak Express (117-up/118-down).

The PRACS is already looking after commercial management and passenger facilitation of Chenab and Rohi expresses besides freight handling on the Lahore-Karachi sector from Sept 1.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had on Sept 5 inaugurated the first freight express train, being run on the Lahore-Karachi sector by the PRACS, at the Lahore Cantt railway station.

Five PR officers — three in BS-19 and two in BS-18 — have been transferred to the PRACS when the company expressed inability to take over the control of freight handling and trains operation before Oct 1 “for lack of staff.”

The officers would work for the PRACS but draw their salaries from the Pakistan Railways, sources said.

The PRACS would be handling ticketing of the eight more trains through its STEs (special ticket examiners) and checking through its own conductors and guards. The loco crew, mechanical and operational personnel would be railway employees while the fate of booking and parcel staff has yet to be decided.

“The arrangements are not in violation of the Railway Act but also the charter of the PRACS and its memorandum of association. PRACS is merely an advisory and consultancy company but it is being made a parallel railway.

“Railways is a federal government department and its employees public servants as recently declared by the Supreme Court. The authorities are sending PR employees to a private company which is not listed in any stock exchange of the country,” sources said.

“The PRACS is a public limited company and a subsidiary of the Pakistan Railways,” according to Managing Director Ishfaq Khattak who is a recipient of Tamgha-i-Imtiaz. The PRACS would facilitate the passengers and businessmen through its managerial flexibility, prompt decision process and financial manoeuvrability, he said. “I am not government, I am a company,” said Mr Khattak who had been the Rawalpindi divisional superintendent before becoming the managing director of the PRACS.

“Within the existing system, we will endeavour to improve the lives of the passengers. We’ll re-focus both on the passenger and freight sectors. The PR system is good but the need of the hour is to reestablish link with the customers.

“For the first time, we’ll be giving bacteria-free water to our passengers free of cost during the 28-hour journey on the Chenab and Rohi expresses.

The PRACS was also contemplating to serve first meal free of cost to every passenger like the PIA that would be in aluminium pack. A gift pack containing a small towel, toilet paper, soap, etc., would also be given to the passengers.

Bedding facilities like bed-sheets, pillow and blanket would also be offered to the passengers at nominal charges, said Mr Khattak.

Booking agencies would be going to the doorsteps of the intending passengers and offering up to six-month or one-year booking in advance.

There would be no increase in the fares but the PRACS would operate below the ceiling, said Mr Khattak and added: “The company is not profit-oriented.”