– File Photo

LAHORE: The revival of Shalimar Express under the public-private partnership is on the cards, about 16 months after its operation was suspended because of financial constraints.

“The express train will start running between Lahore and Karachi from Jan 1 next year,” an officer of the railways commercial wing at its headquarters in Lahore told Dawn on Thursday.

Earlier, another non-stop train Business Express would start running between Punjab and Sindh capitals from Dec 25 under the public-private partnership, said the officer.

Under an agreement signed with M/s Lasani Group, the railways would provide coaches, locomotives and staff -- drivers, firemen and conductor guards besides PR police personnel – to the private company which would be looking after tickets reservation and checking of Shalimar Express, he said.

Comprising AC Parlour, Lower AC and Economy classes, the train would depart daily from Lahore and Karachi simultaneously at 6:30am and would have facilities like TV, internet and fast food.

The company would pay Rs598 million annually to the railways under the agreement.

Ironically, the annual expenditure of Shalimar Express was Rs300 million against a Rs528 million earning when it was suspended, declaring it in loss.

The railways had on July 17 last year discontinued Mehran Express, Sialkot Express and a passenger train. Tezrao and Chiltan expresses stopped operating on July 20 and the Shalimar Express on July 27 before suspending the operation of 76 trains — eight mail/express, 16 inter-city and 52 passenger — because of financial constraints and without calculating their expenditure and earnings.

During his maiden news conference in Lahore after assuming the charge of his new assignment, PR Board chairman Javed Iqbal had on June 23 termed the circumstances that resulted in the closure of Shalimar Express a managerial issue.

The Business Express would cover the distance between Lahore and Karachi, ‘initially in 18 hours’ according to an agreement signed between the Pakistan Railways and M/s Four Brothers International (Pvt) Ltd on Aug 18 this year.

Comprising nine AC coaches, two power and one luggage vans and a dining car, the up train would leave Karachi City at 3:30pm and reach Lahore at 9:35am the next day, while the down special would leave Lahore at 3:30pm to reach Karachi City at 10am the next day, after having technical stoppages at Khanewal and Rohri.

Under the agreement, the company would pay around Rs1.15 billion annually to the railways and invest Rs225.786 million to bring value adding ‘substantive changes’ to the passenger services, including ticketing, luggage care, bedding and food service etc.