Pakistan Railways is gearing up to reintroduce another passenger train, the ‘Akber Bugti Express,’ which will traverse from Quetta to Lahore, aimed at enhancing passenger convenience along the route and bolstering revenue for the department.
“The decision to reinstate the Akber Bugti Express train follows directives from the caretaker Minister for Railways, Shahid Ashraf Tarar,” disclosed an official from the Ministry of Railways to APP.
This new service is poised to facilitate travelers from Quetta and Punjab provinces seeking to journey to and from Balochistan. Presently, the Jaffer Express stands as the solitary operational passenger train in Balochistan, operating between Quetta and Peshawar, in addition to local Chaman and Hurnai trains.
Expanding its service network, Pakistan Railways escalated the tally of its express trains to 96 last year, traversing throughout the country to better serve commuters.
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“Though the network reached 86 trains before achieving the milestone of 96 across the entire railway network last year, the department is committed to enhancing services further through concentrated efforts,” emphasized the official.
Railway stations are equipped with an array of amenities catering to passenger needs, including waiting rooms, vending stalls, station restaurants, wheelchair accessibility, information desks, computerized reservation facilities, public address systems, paramedics, first-aid services, online reservation, passenger insurance, and revived help desks.
Regarding punctuality, the overall on-time performance of trains has surged from 76 to 93 percent in just five months, attributed to rigorous monitoring and stringent measures enforced by Pakistan Railways at divisional and ministry levels.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 17th 2024.
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