Railways’ revenue hits historic high

PR amasses Rs66b in nine months of this fiscal

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Railways has achieved an unprecedented milestone by amassing an amount of Rs66 billion during the first nine months of this fiscal year, defying all odds posed by financial constraints.

By the conclusion of the financial year, the PR’s revenue is expected to soar beyond Rs80 billion.

In the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, the PR had earned Rs39.95 billion -- meaning the revenue went up by Rs26.05 billion or 49.17%.

The PR has bolstered its operational preparedness by maintaining a diesel stock sufficient for 10 days, ensuring seamless train services during peak periods.

In anticipation of increased train travel demand during the season of Eidul Fitr, a substantial amount of 1.5 litres of diesel has been procured in order to guarantee uninterrupted operations.

Expressing his gratitude to the passengers for their posing their trust in the PR services, its CEO Amir Ali Baloch said all Eid special trains had witnessed full occupancy with a remarkable 100% booking rate.

Baloch added that in response to the escalating demand, the railway administration had taken measures and approved the installation of additional coaches in Eid special trains -- a move aimed at accommodating the surge in passengers during the festive season.

Furthermore, in an attempt to alleviate financial burdens on its workforce, the PR has stepped up its salary disbursements. This will ensure that the salaries for April are credited to bank accounts five days ahead of schedule.

The timely disbursement of salary marks a significant improvement from previous instances where payments were often delayed by up to three weeks.

The ongoing fiscal year has been profitable for the PR even though it confronted several challenges.

It had earned Rs55 billion in the first eight months of the current financial year against Rs37 billion in same period in FY2022-23, displaying an increase of Rs18 billion or 49%.