Azadi Train unable to chug again

The Pakistan Railways has announced that it would not be running the Azadi Train for the upcoming Independence Day -- the second consecutive year that it was resorting to this measure -- as it was facing “severe financial difficulties”.

The special Azadi Train -- which typically showcases the nation's spirit and heritage through cultural floats representing Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan-- has been unable to hit the tracks and stored away in the carriage factory.

These cultural floats, adorned with folk artists from all over the country, contribute to the celebration by showcasing the rich art and cultural diversity of Pakistan.
The Azadi Train tradition is an annual event organised by the Pakistan Railways to engage and entertain citizens.

However, it has fallen victim to the crippling effects of the financial crisis that has plagued the country during the past 16 months under the coalition government.
Sources said the railways minister has rejected the proposal to run the Azadi Train for yet another year because of the paucity of funds. The dire situation has also affected the budget allocated for station decorations this year as well.

Only a sum of Rs100,000 has been provided to decorate each railway station.

The efforts to beautify the railway stations are scheduled for completion on Sunday (today). One of the major challenges faced by the Pakistan Railways is the escalating expenditures on salaries and pensions, which have surpassed the total revenue generated.

The money given away to its pensioners has exceeded the salaries of the current employees, exacerbating the financial problems. A significant portion of the Pakistan Railways' revenue is allocated towards these expenses and the purchase of diesel.

In the financial year 2022-23 alone, an estimated Rs47.36 billion was spent on these expenditures. With over 61,000 employees, the Pakistan Railways faces a significant money crunch. In the same financial year, the total salaries of these employees exceeded Rs35 billion, while the number of active pensioners exceeded 111,000, with their pensions totalling over Rs40.50 billion.

Despite achieving a record revenue collection of Rs62 billion during the financial year 2022-23, the Pakistan Railways still fell short of its target by Rs7.42 billion.
For the ongoing financial year 2023-24, the Pakistan Railways has set a target of Rs80 billion, aiming for a higher revenue collection than the previous year by over Rs10 billion.

(With input from correspondent in Lahore)