Reliving memories of old: Shalimar Express ready to chug on tracks again

Bilour basks in Railways ‘success’ while inaugurating second train in a month.

LAHORE:

The Shalimar Express, the second train to operate in a month on a public private partnership, was inaugurated on Friday.

Pakistan Railways is also planning to operate five trains on public private partnership this year. The Pak Business Express, which is already providing revenues of Rs.5 million on a daily basis to Pakistan Railways, was launched earlier this month.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was scheduled to inaugurate the Shalimar Express but was unavailable for the event.

Nevertheless, Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour stepped in to officially launch the train and didn’t shy away from basking in the recent ‘accomplishments’ of Pakistan Railways.

Appreciating the hard work put into the initiative, Bilour announced additional salary for all those employees and officers involved in the joint venture.

Shalimar Express will run between Lahore and Karachi, via Faisalabad, Multan, Rohri, and Hyderabad.

The train has seven economy class coaches, two lower air conditioner coaches, one AC parlor, one dining car as well as power and luggage coaches. The fair for the economy class ticket has been fixed at Rs880; lower air conditioner coaches Rs2400 and AC parlour at Rs2,800.

Under the partnership, Air Rail Services, the company operating the commercial management, will pay Rs1.5 million to Pakistan Railways daily.

Meanwhile, while talking to reporters at the inauguration, Bilour took credit for what he called was “the survival of railways” despite all odds.  He added that if there was someone else in his shoes in the current scenario, the railways operations would have shut down.

Bilour also remarked that his resignation would not have been the solution to the massive problems being faced by the railways sector.

“I, along with my team, am working hard to bring railways back on track. The worse is over and we are now gradually on our way towards improvement,” he said.

However, Bilour also appreciated the hard work by railways officials and engineers, saying that operating with a fleet of 147 locomotives with limited resources is a tough job.

Bilour went on to criticise the finance ministry for not providing the bailout package of Rs11.1 billion for locomotive rehabilitation.

“Things would have been much better if we obtained the amount on time; however we have rehabilitated 25 locomotives from our own resources and are repairing others as well,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2012.