Agreement inked: Five trains, 14 stations up for branding

It will help generate Rs140 million annual revenue, PR minister says

LAHORE:

An agreement was signed between Pakistan Railways (PR) and Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Services Limited (PRACS) for branding of trains and railway stations at the PR Headquarters on Saturday.

PR Chief Commercial Manager Khalid Khursheed Kanwar and PRACS Managing Director Shamim Ahmad Sherazi signed the agreement. Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique was also present.

Under the agreement, branding of 14 railway stations and five trains would be done in the first phase. These trains include Awam Express (Peshawar to Karachi),  Hazara Express (Havelian to Karachi), Karachi Express (Lahore to Karachi), Khyber Mail (Peshawar to Karachi) and Tezgam (Rawalpindi to Karachi).

The stations which will be branded include Hyderabad, Karachi Cantt, Karachi City, Khanewal, Lahore, Landhi, Multan, Peshawar Cantt, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Rohri, Wazirabad, Kot Lakhpat and Lahore Cantt.

Rafique said branding of railway stations and trains would help generate Rs140 million revenue annually.

He said the PR had 527 railway stations and 50 passenger trains through which the railways was providing travelling and job opportunities to 80 million passengers.

Rafiq said it had been decided that a worker’s welfare package be offered to PR staff in the form of technical allowance and a one-time benefit.

Under this package, the minister said, Rs390 million would be utilised in 2015-16 and 75,000 employees from BS Scale 1 to Scale 16 would benefit from this package. The minister said the PR was making short-term investments to improve efficiency.

“The salary issue of Pakistan Railways police will be resolved,” he said. “Rs300 million has been set aside for repair and maintenance of staff residences and quarters,” he added. “Of this, Rs250 million will be utilised for maintenance and repair of residences of officers and Rs275,000 would be spent on repair and maintenance of low staff residences.”

He said Rs50 million would be spent on construction of staff quarters. These quarters would consist of two bed rooms for employees from grade 1 to grade 11.

Rs60 million would be spent for resolving drainage and water supply issues of railway colonies and Rs190 million for emergencies.

Responding to a question on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the minister said the issue should not be made controversial. “Under the CPEC, Pakistan Railways will get $3.7 billion a concessional loan.”

“This investment would be utilised to rehabilitate the main line 1 (ML-1) which is the life line of Pakistan Railways,” he said.

He said the ML-2 was also of high importance and an expression of interest (EOI) had been issued in this regard.

He said a feasibility report in this regard was being prepared. The minister said feasibility work and land acquisition for ML-2 would be completed soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2016.