LAHORE: Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Monday termed the decaying railway track a malady and claimed that whatever is being done by the government to get rid of it, has never happened in the history of Pakistan.

“We all know well, what disease is afflicting the Pakistan Railways. I know it, and there is no doubt that the biggest issue faced by the PR is the track,” he said while speaking to journalists at a media talk here on Monday.

“On this [issue], the work the sitting government has launched was never been done in the 78-year history of Pakistan,” he maintained.

He said the civil work for laying the new 480km-long Rohri/Sukkar/Karachi track by removing the existing one would be launched from September, 2026. Similarly, he said, the replacement of the existing Lahore-Rawalpindi track has also been planned with financial assistance by the Punjab government. After laying of the new tracks, the travel time between Lahore and Karachi, especially from Rohri and Sukkar, would be considerably reduced.

Says replacement of Lahore-Pindi track planned with Punjab’s assistance

“After laying new track on Lahore-Rawalpindi route, the train would complete the 4-5 hours journey in just two hours and 20 minutes. This will happen with the launch of a high-speed train on this route, in collaboration with the Punjab government,” he maintained.

He said the 900km-long Nokundi-Rohri track would also be upgraded with laying of 400km-long new track and 500km-long existing track’s uplift. Similarly, the Nokundi-Taftan track is also being upgraded, Mr Abbasi said, adding that 105km-long new track would be laid in collaboration with the Sindh government in a bid to ease transportation of Thar coal. The work on this will start on Dec 25, this year.

The minister said the PR, for the first time, has engaged all provinces, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in the efforts to upgrade all branch-line routes by uplifting the existing tracks.

“We have held meetings with the KP chief secretary and other officials concerned. “Hopefully, they will allocate some funds to collaborate with the PR for the upgrade of the railway tracks connecting various cities,” he hoped.

Mr Abbasi said an MoU has already been signed with the Punjab government, under which the chief minister has pledged to fund railways for the upgrade of branch-line routes.

“She (the CM) is also eager to help us in laying the new track to run high-speed trains on Lahore-Rawalpindi route. Similarly, Sindh and Balochistan governments are also coordinating with us in this regard,” he explained.

The minister said that after being assigned the tasks by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the PR has started work to digitise all its major departments, including control rooms, to track the trains operation.

According to him, for the first time, the PR has started work to manufacture wagons required for the transportation of vehicles from car manufacturing plants to various destinations. This will enable railways to earn Rs2 billion annually in freight income.

“We are also planning to allocate as many as 40 locomotives for freight operations alone. This is being done just to increase the freight income by 80pc of the total PR’s income,” he said.

The minister said the first “safe and smart” railway station was established in Rawalpindi, and the second would be set up in Lahore. Similar stations would also be established in all major cities, he said. He added that the Wi-Fi facility is available at all major railway stations.

The minister said that all efforts were being made to meet the Rs100 billion revenue target of the PR.

He said that railways marketing department would be digitised, adding that automobile transportation by rail would begin this year. He added that the railways would transport 700,000 tons of edible oil annually, generating Rs2bn per year.

He said the Sahiwal coal power plant is the biggest revenue source for the railways, and its supply is currently at its peak. Consignments related to the power plant would soon arrive and the issue would be resolved by May 10, he claimed.

The minister said following the PM’s instructions, the PR has not increased the fares and freight charges despite the massive increase in the diesel prices.

About the rehabilitation of the passenger coaches, he said, four refurbished rakes of Awam Express, each comprising 10 coaches, would soon be on the track. After this, the passengers would see new rakes of Allama Iqbal Express, he pledged.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026