Pakistan Railways plans outsourcing of nine passenger trains

Pakistan Railways plans to outsource nine passenger trains as part of efforts to improve services and increase revenue, Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said on Thursday.

The announcement was made during a briefing held at the Pakistan Railways headquarters in Islamabad, where officials presented details of the outsourcing plan.

According to the briefing, the initiative is expected to generate around Rs5 billion in annual revenue for the railway department.

The minister said the trains will be outsourced through a transparent and open auction process. The services included in the plan are Hazara Express, Awam Express, Karachi Express, Millat Express, Fareed Express, Sukkur Express, Karakoram Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express, Ravi Express, Thal Express and Faiz Ahmed Faiz Express.

During the meeting, Abbasi also directed officials to prepare a plan for the modernisation of Awam Express and convert it into a premium service.

Under the proposal, the train will be equipped with 40 new passenger coaches. The service will also include free Wi-Fi, improved food services and enhanced cleanliness standards.

The minister said the upgraded Awam Express will be formally launched after the completion of these improvements.