Lahore: Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi has said that significant funds have been earmarked to modernise Pakistan Railways, improve connectivity, and enhance operational efficiency across the country.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the minister said that now is the right time to strengthen Pakistan’s economy and urged the business community to show confidence and participate in development initiatives.
He shared that the prime minister has given special directives to accelerate railway reforms, under which 400 kilometres of new track are being laid and 484 kilometres are being rehabilitated. Around PKR 2 billion has been allocated for upgrading the Lahore–Rawalpindi single track, aimed at reducing travel time between the two cities to two and a half hours.
Development work is also underway at major stations, including Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, and Rohri, while approval for the Rohri–Karachi upgrade project, worth another PKR 2 billion, is expected in July. The Narowal section and Lodhran station are also being improved, and a plantation drive covering 2,500 kilometres from Shahdara to Raiwind has been launched to enhance environmental sustainability.
Mr. Abbasi noted that Pakistan remains the only country where passenger revenue exceeds freight revenue, calling it a structural issue that needs to be addressed. To correct this imbalance, the railway has begun outsourcing hospitals and schools and will allow the private sector to operate its own locomotives using track access rights.
Additional coal trains are being introduced to support industrial activity, including the transportation of materials from the Reko Diq project, he said. For Balochistan’s railway infrastructure, the government has allocated PKR 3.5 billion.
Abbasi said railway revenues are on an upward trend and expected to continue growing with ongoing reforms and investments.
LCCI President Faheemur Rehman Saigol appreciated the ministry’s initiatives, calling the transport sector the “oxygen of any economy.” He stressed the need to strengthen freight operations to support industries and lauded the reopening of Badami Bagh warehouses as a business-friendly measure.
He added that while infrastructure upgrades are welcome, sustainable progress would depend on improving service quality and operational standards to meet global benchmarks.
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