The Pak Business Express’s arrival 19 minutes before schedule at the Karachi Cantt Station seemed to be a miracle to not only for its passengers, but also for the station’s staff.
The train, running between Lahore and Karachi, is a joint venture of Pakistan Railways (PR) and M/S Four Brothers, a private company.
“I cannot believe that Pakistan Railways got me to my destination in time,” said Saeed Alam, a passenger who started his journey from Lahore on Friday. He was satisfied with the services provided by the staff on board as well. “The train provided almost all the facilities that were promised on the ticket. It is necessary for the train’s success that it retains these qualities, especially the time factor,” he said.
Alam added that PR had spent billions of rupees on starting new trains in the past, but those projects had failed because they never operated on schedule. He voiced hope that with the private company at its back, the train should prove to be better than its predecessors.
Pak Business Express’s manager for the south, Saeed Islam, said that the train, with its total of 13 coaches and a capacity of 500 people, fetched 350 passengers and crew on its maiden trip to Karachi. He shared a bit of trivia as well: the coaches were taken from the Karakoram Express, and then renovated.
For Rs5,000 (one-way) and Rs9,000 (return journey), passengers can enjoy LCD TV, Wifi internet and fast food. Each coach has a security guard, sweeper, three hosts and is equipped with security cameras. The paramedical staff of Rescue 1122 are always on hand in case of a medical emergency. The train covers the 1,200-kilometre journey in 18 hours, while making stops at Khanewal and Rohri. Other PR trains cover the same distance in more than 30 hours.
The private company invested Rs225 million in the project, and will get 12% of the revenue generated by the train.
The road home
The train departed from Karachi back to Lahore at 3:30 pm. While speaking to the media at Cantt Station, the federal minister for railways Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that they had high expectations as it would help businessmen and industrialists who travel frequently from Karachi to Lahore. He added that they planned to restart the Shalimar Express from February 15 and were trying to improve the Karakoram Express.
Responding to a question about his ministry, he said that he was here to stay and he would resign if someone tried to change his portfolio. “If I don’t have any engines, how can I run the ministry?” he said. “It is impossible.”
On December 19, 2010, the federal cabinet agreed to give us Rs11.1 billion out of which Rs6.1 billion was supposed to be spent on locomotives, said Bilour. “Unfortunately, we have not received a single rupee of the grant.” He added that there were no engines and the condition of the railways had worsened. While speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he said that if they had received the money, they would have had 100 locomotives at their disposal. He added that they were working on projects to improve the system.
He inaugurated four cargo trains. The first one was bound for Lal Pir and was carrying 26 oil tankers while the other three were on their way to Machi Goth. While talking about a partnership with private companies, he said that it would not have been possible to complete a project like the Pak Business Express without it.
Rallies and demonstrations
The Rail Bachao Ittehad (RBI) held a protest against the new venture at Cantt Station.
The protesters said that they charged passengers Rs3,500 while the new train was charging them Rs5,000 out of which Rs1,500 was for food. RBI’s Syed Shahid Iqbal said that by charging so much for food, they were forcing people to eat.
He added that this was the first step towards privitising the railways and this would affect the running trains. The protesters met Bilour to discuss their problems. He told them that all railway contract employees who were hired till December 31, 2011, would become permanent employees.
A slideshow of pictures of the train's maiden trip can be viewed here.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2012.
COMMENTS (18)
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@Aqeel Ahmed:
Yaar first come to that level then challenge India. We are nothing in comparison with India. So instead of making tall calims we should start hard work with honesty and reach to that level where we can challenge everyone.
Great Start ......2012 is golden year for white elephant(pakistan railway). As part of first private investment of millions of rupees in the ailing state railways The year 2011 was supposed to be a milestone for Pakistan Railways – it would’ve marked the institution’s 150th anniversary. But with more than half of its locomotives suspended almost throughout the year, suspension of freight operations and a host of scandals, the year was anything but celebratory.. We Pakistanis are a funny little nation. While the entire world blows their trivial problems out of proportion,we have been accustomed to burying the most gargantuan problems into the depths of obscurity. While the royal family of Louis the XIV was accused of not being privy to the misery of the masses,with one of their queens rendering the infamous statement,‘well if they don’t have bread,they can eat cake instead’,the Pakistani figures that have infested the corridors of power are often heard making similar statements....
Its good but again we have made classes between have and have nots and those who say UK and other countries also have it than please see their people purchasing power also. Charging Rs 9,000 is I think not affordable to middle class also. Can any one inform that how come a possible lucrative business making unit with so much potential is in loses, in my view people who want to loot the money want to bring in their business in Railways and dont forget PIA is next, where we will see Indus Air, which will soon come to take over PIA business. Good Luck to Pakistani people and who are
@Colonel: reaching in time will create problem for commuters. we in india experience this....if a trains runs on time which is very rare.....normally people miss it...
This is fine but for people who can afford it...what about those poor travevlers who are dependent on this mode of transport but cannot afford business train..? what has the Railways & the govt planned for them..??
Atleast a good news from my motherland.. Hats off to private group who joined PR in this venture. If it would have been continued with same zeal it will a successfull venture.
we need to allow the private sector to operate freight trains. Four times more lucrative.
can someone update us all as to what time it arrived today ?
i wont like if ET will tell the people everyday if trains reaches on time or not, there are certain other things which are important to be highlighted
I think Privatization is the best option in Pakistan as well.
@jojo: But as for KESC government still owns 51% shares and PTCL is only privatized 26% so any decision cannot be taken without government being on board.
Pakistan Railways has the biggest no of ghost employees elsewhere in our country.
All contract employees will become permanent....... what a joke. When you have no trains running, our minister is hiring useless manpower
Great initiative. This is the rare Win-Win-Win for Pakistan if it is allowed to work on a sustainable basis, not just few months or few years. It is a win for the private sector businessmen, win for the government, win for Pakistan. The public-private model will work of the private sector controls, manages, overseas, improves the model constantly. I am private managing part of a similar model of a public-private basic education initiative NCHD started 2002 with private sector PHDF overseeing, controlling finances, operations and progress. The model was long term and agreed upon as 10% private sector investment and 90% government responsibility. NCHD was a unbelievable success due to private sector world class professionals bringing world's best practices. Once the government changed in 2007 we suddenly saw immediate efforts to shut the program down. We the private sector saved from sure death in 2007 and then again in 2011 when the government backed off on its partnership promise and held salary of 1000's and 1000's of teachers for months. Murphy's Law. If it can happen it will happen. So beware.
Another day, Another union which wants to destroy Pakistan.
About time we privatise this white elephant and be done with it! Private sector operates it in UK, US and everywhere in the world and can do it in Pakistan too, just don't commit the folly of prvatising PTCL and KESC by giving them monopoly over things/