Railways’ profit surges to Rs8.38b, NA told

Passenger trains earned an average of Rs62m per day

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways reported earning Rs21,704 million with a profit amounting to Rs8,380 million in 2016-17 on passenger trains, the railways ministry stated in response to a question raised by a lawmaker in the National Assembly.

In monetary terms, passenger trains earned an average of Rs62 million per day.

The railways routinely incurred huge losses with huge gaps in its earning and expenditure till June 2013.

During the tenure of the incumbent government, the earnings from the passenger sector significantly improved against expenditure.



During the period up to June 2014, cumulative earnings never surpassed its expenditures, resulting in almost perpetual deficit.

However since July 2014, earnings increased against variable cost by Rs17.41 billion (between July 2014 and March 2017).

During the same period, Pakistan Railways acquired 77 new locomotives over the past five years.

In 2013-14, as many as 29 locomotives were inducted in railways while in 2014-15, 34 locomotives were inducted.



In the following year, no new locomotive was inducted in railways. But in 2016-17, 14 more locomotives were received till April 2017.

Pakistan Railways has a fleet of 448 locomotives, of which 293 are functional while 155 are non-functional. Of non-functional locomotives, at least 93 are currently under maintenance/ heavy repairs, which will be made fully operational by June next year, the ministry’s reply stated.

According to the reply submitted by the ministry, as many as 62 Chinese locomotives require heavy repairs and their rehabilitation is under consideration if it is found that they can be repaired in an economical manner and have enough residual life.

Over the past three years (up till March this year), Pakistan Railways managed to load 682,156 freight wagons, carrying various commodities.



Several measures are being taken by the railways, including upgradation of its Peshawar-Karachi main line (ML-1 which is 1,872 kilometres long).

Moreover, as many as 490 high-capacity/ high-speed hopper trucks are being introduced for swift movement/ loading of coal.