LAHORE – Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday said that PrimeMinister Imran Khan would soon inaugurate two new trains from Karachi toDhabeji and Karachi to Hyderabad.

Addressing a press conference here at the PR Headquarters, he said thatboth trains would facilitate passengers, especially labourers.The minister said that the PR was focusing on enhancing capacity of trainsand in this regard fares of such trains had been revised downwards, whichhad low occupancy rate, in order to earn more revenue.

Sheikh Rashid said that timings of trains had also been revised for theconvenience of people and the Rail-Car from Lahore to Islamabad would nowrun at 10am instead of 8am, he added. The route of Sukkur Express was alsobeing extended to Jacobabad and Shikarpur, he said.

He said that the department would ensure free WiFi facility at three trainsincluding Green Line, Karachi Express and Tez Gam from the next week,adding that the catering service would also be restored in these trains.The WiFi service would also be operationized at nine divisionalheadquarters, he maintained.

The minister said that a task force had been set up consisting of nine PRofficers to further improve freight trains network, adding that he wouldincrease the number of freight trains from eight to 15, whereas effortswere being made to repair 100 coaches during every month as 672 coaches hadbecome non-functional. It was one of the major causes of loss to the PR, headded. “We want to establish the latest command and control center at PRHeadquarters to replace traditional manual system,” he said.

The minister said that a summary regarding regularization of 8,000 PRcontractual employees had been sent to the prime minister for approval,whereas another summary for one grade promotion of the PR employees hadalso been forwarded, he added.

He said that important decisions were taken during a session today, addingthat the PR had managed to increase its revenue by one billion rupeeswithin the first 50 days of the PTI government.Sheikh Rashid said that tracking devices would be installed at alllocomotives to estimate the fuel consumption.

To a question, he said that directions had been issued to officialsconcerned to eliminate schools and other small business units establishednear railway track till October 30, adding that parents should restraintheir children from playing at railway track; otherwise, action would betaken against negligent parents.To another query, the minister said that during the tenure of the previousgovernment, jobs were given on political basis which caused financialdamage to the PR, adding that he would ensure merit and transparency at anycost.

He said that the previous government purchased a locomotive for Rs 420million, which was available for Rs 220 million, adding that not a singlerupee was spent on improving tracks and signaling system.

Similarly, former P&D minister Ahsan Iqbal wasted millions of rupees of thepublic money on Narowal Railway Station, which was contributing less thanRs 0.6 million to the PR revenue, he said.

Sheikh Rashid said that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government wasfacing huge challenges inherited from its predecessors, especially oneconomic front, however the government would put the country on the road toprogress and prosperity.

To another query, he said that former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharifwas more corrupt than his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, adding that ShehbazSharif had plundered the provincial exchequer in the name of so-called megapublic welfare projects.