LAHORE: For the first time, commuters and Pakistan Railways (PR) staff on board all trains will be travelling under an insurance cover.

An agreement to this effect was signed between the Pakistan Railways (PR) and the Postal Life Insurance (PLI) at the PR headquarters here on Saturday.

“Initially, there is a compensation of Rs800,000 on death of a passenger, Rs50,000 to Rs300,000 in case of an injury or disability,” the Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique, told newsmen after PR General Manager (Operations) Javed Anwar and PLI General Manager Nasir Hasan signed the pact.

The agreement will not only cover railway passengers holding a valid ticket but also railway employees either on duty or travelling on any train anywhere in the country, said the minister.

The insurance claim will be settled within 21 days while payment will be made in 45 days, he added.

The agreement shall remain in force for three years and could be extended for another two years, said the minister, adding that a life insurance plan for all railways employees was being worked out. “An agreement will be made with a company offering the best deal.”

Mr Rafique said the railways’ Public Sector Development Programme for 2015-16 would be finalised and forwarded to the National Assembly’s standing committee concerned by the end of the current month.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways and National Engineering Services Pakistan decided at a meeting to initiate work on the first phase of the project to upgrade and renovate five railway stations.

Published in Dawn February 8th , 2015

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