Pakistan Railways’ (PR) revenue has risen to Rs2 billion in the last two months, General Manager Anjum Pervez told the media at a press conference at division superintendent’s office at Multan.
The accumulated deficit now stands at Rs29 billion, “This will be completely erased over the next five years,” he said.
Pervez said that the government had devised a strategy to take the PR out of its crisis.
Pervez said the number of passengers had increased by almost 20 per cent over the last three months. “The PR has been instructed to maintain fuel reserves for two weeks,” he said, “Three months ago, no one was interested in helping the PR. We either had no fuel or would receive fuel on daily demand.”
A tender had been submitted to procure new engines, he said, “We have ordered 58 engines.” Two of them will be added to the engines squad on an experimental basis next month. If they meet the standards, more engines will be procured. “The quality of these engines will be strictly scrutinised,” Pervez said, “There will be no compromise on the standards and no company will get preferential treatment.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 25th, 2013.