ISLAMABAD: Commu­ters opting to travel in all classes of trains would get concession of up to 20 per cent in fares during the first 20 days of the holy month of Ramazan, said Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique on Wednesday.

Speaking to journalists here, he said the revenue target of Pakistan Railways (PR) had been fixed at Rs53 billion for the fiscal year 2017-18, adding that the revenue, which was Rs18bn four years ago, had now touched Rs41bn.

The minister said that 74pc of the PR’s budget was spent on salaries and pensions of the staff, adding that there had been an increase of 20pc in the wages.

In 2013, the organisation was spending Rs33bn on salaries, and during the current fiscal year the figure had increased to Rs53bn, he said.

Mr Rafique pointed out that the PR’s revenue had increased, but despite the addition of 15 million passengers during the past four years, it had failed to make profits.

The minister said that PR had generated Rs11bn from its freight service.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2017