‘Punctuality of passenger trains improved by 90% in 100 days’

Installation of train tracking system is in the final stages, says Pakistan Railways official

ISLAMABAD: The punctuality ratio of Pakistan Railways (PR) passenger trains have improved by 90% due to untiring efforts of the management during the first 100 days of the present government.

"With the punctuality of trains and concrete measures taken by the government, around 20 million passengers have been added in the system, which is an ample proof of department's achievement," an official in the Ministry of Railways said on Thursday.

The punctuality of passenger trains, he added, was 70% in last year of the previous government and only 40% in 2012-13, which is now improving day-by-day on the directives of Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed to win passengers heart.

Regarding the oil reserves, the official went on to say, that fuel reserves of PR have been improved to over two weeks from the reserves of only one day in the past.



Referring to railway stations’ statistics, he also said that there were 550 stations in the country and around 15 of them had been upgraded to meet the needs of modern time.

"The quality of food served in the passenger trains had been improved considerably as it had been officially supervised by the authorities that passengers should get pure and quality food on the trains," he PR official added.

He further said that the installation of a tracking system is in the final stages for the strict monitoring of trains' movement and fuel expenditure, adding that the department has overcome its losses due to better financial discipline, strict monitoring system and austerity measures.