In order to increase income, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s newly launched Green Line Train should be used, said Khawaja Saad Rafique, Minister of Railways and Aviation.
In his remarks during the train’s inauguration, the minister urged all citizens to use the newly opened Green Line Train, which was furnished with contemporary amenities.
He said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally examined the Green Line Train, which will allow 2,200 passengers each day to travel comfortably from Islamabad to Karachi.
The train, according to the minister, would depart from Margalla Railway Station at 3 PM and arrive in Karachi at 2:20 PM the following day. During the trip, the train would make stops at the stations at Rawalpindi, Lahore, Khanewal, Bahawalpur, Rohri Junction, and Hyderabad.
According to Saad Rafique, the train will provide its passenger’s cutting-edge amenities like comfy sleepers, WIFI, wholesome meals, tea, bottled water, newspapers, standard linen, and air-conditioned rooms.
He said that the passengers will have the option of online booking and e-ticketing, allowing them to buy e-tickets for their trip on the Pak Railways official website or through the company’s mobile app, which is accessible through the Google Play Store.
According to the minister, Nawaz Sharif, who was prime minister at the time, officially established the Green Line in 2013. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-previous Insaf administration suspended its services (PTI).
He claimed that in order to increase revenue for the department, the “gentry” services of Green Line Train had been carefully and competitively outsourced.
He said, “The revenue of Pakistan Railways stood at Rs 18 billion when the last Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came into office in 2013,” adding that it increased to Rs 54 billion by the time the government’s term was up in 2018.
Sadly, he claimed, the department was completely ignored by the previous PTI administration, which also recruited blue-eyed personnel who completely harmed the department’s revenue growth.
Consolidated efforts, according to Saad Rafique, are being made to increase the department’s earnings, but financial support is necessary to implement reforms for the Pakistan Railways’ resurrection.
In order to maximize revenue for the division, the minister claimed Pakistan Railways had developed a strategy for branding a number of passenger trains and railroad platforms.
In addition to addressing Pakistan Railways’ growing deficit, he claimed that branding the trains and platforms will also enable private businesses to market their goods for this reason.
According to Saad Rafique, Pakistan Railways needed about Rs 200 million to maintain its daily operations but was only bringing in Rs 155 million.
He expressed his gratitude to the supreme court for authorizing the use of its property for commercial activities, which would undoubtedly increase the department’s earnings. Rules that would aid in utilizing the commercial potential of Pakistan Railway lands would shortly be formulated and given to the Federal Cabinet for approval.
Saad Rafique pleaded with the pertinent parties to send as much freight as possible to Pakistan Railways, as this would not only assure cargo mobility at a reasonable price but also preserve road infrastructure.