LAHORE, Sept 12: All rail passengers, opting to travel between Ramazan 1 and 15 in any class, will get a 25 per cent concession in fares of all trains, except Pakistan and Khushaal Khan Khattak expresses.

A Sehr and Iftar package would also be offered to the passengers during journey, said Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad at a news conference at the PR headquarters on Wednesday.

Booking for the Iftar and Sehr package would be made at the railway stations. Ordinary Iftar package would be provided to passengers on extra payment of Rs25, special Iftar package would cost Rs100 while complete meal would be available at the rate of Rs50 per person.

The railways administration had been given a week to ensure arrival and departure of all trains according to schedule. “After seven days, officer in charge of train would be taken to task in case of late arrival or departure without any sufficient reasons,” warned the minister.

The trend of travelling without tickets would also be curbed. The officer in charge of the train found carrying more than a certain number of travellers without ticket would be suspended from service, he said.

He said the services of all temporary labour (TLA), which had been working for the last three years or more in railways, would be regularised. Some 300 or so apprentices would be imparted six-month training in various skills at the Mughalpura Workshops.

Booking of freight trains would be computerised while their movement would be monitored through a modern tracking system, the minister said.