Prime Minister Emphasizes Railway Infrastructure Overhaul for Economic and Industrial Growth

Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the vital role of railway infrastructure in the country’s economic and industrial development, calling it the “backbone of any nation’s economy.” Chairing a high-level meeting on Pakistan Railways, the Prime Minister highlighted the need for sustainable reconstruction of the rail network and ordered the acceleration of efforts to modernize and expand the railway system.
During the briefing, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi informed the Prime Minister about ongoing reforms in Pakistan Railways. The Prime Minister was told that the department holds immense potential for further investment and that modernization is underway at key railway stations across major cities including Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Multan.
As part of the reform agenda:
Major stations are being equipped with modern information desks.
Cleaning services have been outsourced.
Food quality is being jointly monitored by Railways and provincial food authorities.
Previously discontinued services such as Bolan Mail, Dera Ghazi Khan Express, and Khushal Khan Khattak Express have been reinstated.
Concrete sleeper factories in Sukkur, Khanewal, and Kohat are being outsourced.
Railway hospitals, schools, colleges, and rest houses in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, Multan, and Sukkur are being outsourced on a revenue-sharing basis. The Royal Palm Golf and Country Club in Lahore is being auctioned for redevelopment, potentially into a five-star hotel.
Digitization efforts are being fast-tracked, with free Wi-Fi now available on trains and the mobile ticketing app being upgraded. Additionally, 155 railway stations are being transitioned to solar energy, potentially saving millions in operational costs.
In line with the government’s rightsizing policy, 17,101 positions have been eliminated, with another 5,695 to be phased out. Several subsidiary units — including PRACS, RAILCOP, PRFTC, and the Project Implementation Unit — have been shut down. The government has also recovered railway land worth Rs 10 billion.
Collaboration with the Punjab government includes projects such as:
A high-speed train service between Lahore and Rawalpindi,
Upgradation of Lahore and Rawalpindi railway stations,
Suburban rail services across eight branch lines in Punjab,
Development of green belts and fruit tree plantations along Shahdara Bagh to Kot Lakhpat and other main railway lines.
The government of Balochistan is also partnering on the upgrade of Saryab-Kuchlak and Quetta-Chaman railway sections.
The Prime Minister instructed authorities to devise a strategy to expand the railway network to strengthen trade ties with Central Asian countries and to expedite the integration of Gwadar into the Pakistan Railways network.
PM Shehbaz Sharif commended Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi for the ongoing reforms and development projects. The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, Adviser to the PM Dr. Tauqir Shah, and senior officials from relevant departments.