• ADB approves $10m for railway improvement project
• PM for adopting public-private partnership for rail land

ISLAMABAD: With the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approving $10 million in assistance for preparing the Railway Improve­ment Project, Pakistan Railways is moving to outsource 11 more trains, a step expected to generate an additional Rs8.5bn for the country’s largest state-owned rail operator.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting on Pakistan Railways on Saturday, where he was informed that tenders had been floated for outsourcing the eleven passenger trains to the private sector. Pakistan Railways has already outsourced four trains.

The meeting was also informed that railway hospitals in Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta and Sukkur were being outsourced, while the outsourcing of railway schools, colleges and rest houses was already underway. Similarly, dry ports in Islamabad, Lahore and Azakhail were also being handed over to private operators.

It was also noted that 40 luggage and brake vans had been outsourced, which are expected to bring in an additional Rs820m. The outsourcing process for two cargo express trains was in progress and is projected to generate Rs6.3bn in additional revenue.

Addressing the meeting, the premier stressed that a public-private partnership model shou­­ld be adopted when managing Pak­istan Railways’ land and properties.

He said that the railway system serves as the backbone of a country’s economy and directed that top-tier legal and economic experts be engaged, especially for projects related to regional connectivity and cross-border rail links.

He appreciated the ongoing measures for the revival of the railway system and commended Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and his team.

The meeting was infor­med that the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul train service would resume soon, and preliminary work on the Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghan­istan-Pakistan rail corridor was underway.

A plan was being developed for upgrading the Karachi–Kotri section of Main Line-1 and Main Line-3.

The premier was informed that so far, 155 railway stations have been equipped with solar power. Seven digital portals under the ‘Rabta’ initiative are operational, 56 trains have been shifted onto the new system, and 54 stations have been digitised.

Free Wi-Fi service has been provided at the Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad stations.

An online freight booking system has been launched while a pilot digital weighing bridge has been installed at Karachi City Railway Station.

To enhance security, 148 AI-powered surveillance cameras have been installed, and ATM machines are being set up at railway stations.

Cleanliness services have also been outsourced.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2025