RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Monday rejected the Auditor General of Pakistan’s report on Pakistan Railways’ revenue losses and said that the department achieved its target of earning Rs115 billion in the current fiscal year.

He expressed these views while talking to the media on the occasion of the inauguration of newly constructed guard running rooms and driver rooms at the railway loco shed.

“The Auditor General’s report tried to limit the development of the railways. The report mentioning a 19 per cent deficit is completely wrong. In March 2025, as Minister for Railways, I turned things around in four months compared to the performance of the last five years,” the minister claimed.

He said that during four months, operating costs were reduced by Rs3.6 billion, which he termed as profit. “A Rs63 billion pension grant is given by the Government of Pakistan. Pensioners are the backbone of our system. We will try to ensure that the Government of Pakistan itself pays this pension in the future. We are going to touch our revenue target on July 6,” he said.

He said that Pakistan Railways did not earn a revenue of Rs100 billion. “We have outsourced five trains. Till today, no one has been given free tickets. Till the last day of the fiscal year, we touched the revenue target of Rs115 billion,” he said.

He said that the process of reforms in Pakistan Railways was underway and complete digitalisation of the department was being ensured. “All trains will be upgraded by June 2027,” he said.

Responding to a question, the minister said that the foundation stone of the ML-1 project’s Rohri to Karachi section is expected to be laid by the prime minister in September.

Mr Abbasi said that Pakistan Railways schools and hospitals were being outsourced under a public-private partnership model, while right-sizing had also been implemented in various departments.

He said that power vans had not been overhauled for the past 20 years, adding that bids for the procurement of 16 new power plants would be opened on Tuesday, and all power vans would be overhauled by March 23 next year.

He said refurbishment of four rakes of Awam Express had been completed, as upgradation was already in process.

Talking about future plans, the minister said work on ML-3 from Rohri to Zahedan was also underway, and efforts were being made to initiate practical work during his tenure. “ECC has already approved the ML-3 project,” he said.

Regarding the upgradation of railway stations, the minister said Rawalpindi Railway Station would be upgraded on the pattern of Lahore, and funds were being arranged in this regard. The project is expected to be completed by December.

He said fares of passenger and freight trains had not been increased on the directions of the prime minister, adding that a reduction in petroleum prices alone did not make fare reduction feasible.

Earlier, the minister inaugurated modern running rooms equipped with air-conditioning, comfortable accommodation, and solar-powered uninterrupted electricity supply for guards and locomotive pilots.

He thanked the DG FWO for making the rooms state-of-the-art facilities.

He said such facilities had been provided for the first time in 36 years and similar modern running rooms would be constructed in other major cities across the country.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2026