Caretaker Federal Minister for Railways Roshan Khurshid Bharocha on Wednesday stressed the need for focusing Balochistan in railways operations and ensuring more safety measures in congested and populated areas. She expressed these views during his visit to Pakistan Railways Headquarters where Railways CEO Muhammad Aftab Akbar and Traffic Assistant General Manager Abdul Majeed Razi briefed about the railways operation and performance. The minister was warmly welcomed and the Railways police presented her guard of honour, while the CEO presented here a shield as memento. On this occasion, Roshan Khurshid Bharocha said, “Today, I am railways minister and after that I will be an ambassador of this department.” She continued that all high-ups including Senate chairman were all praised of Pakistan Railways especially its timings and cleanliness, and it was all due to hard work and efforts by the railways employees. Provision of 50 percent discount in fare by railways to senior citizens and people with disability was commendable, she maintained. She directed the authorities concerned to construct railways school in Quetta as well. The minister was briefed that 20 locomotives were being imported and these would be operated in mountainous areas of Balochistan, adding that Pakistan Railways had retained its heritage by establishing Railways museum at Golra Sharif Station, Islamabad. During the last six years, it was added, Pakistan Railways’ made record increase of Rs 30.5 billion in its revenues ie from Rs 18.1 billion to Rs 48.6 billion, and the department had 455 locomotives, 1,460 passenger coaches and 16,085 freight wagons and was operating 62 freight and 110 passengers trains daily. The schools being run by railways also showed 90 percent result and the department’s sports budget had also been raised from Rs 7.5 million to Rs 35 million. Pakistan Railways also had representation in national teams and its players were winning gold medals, the meeting was told. The minister was informed that Pakistan Railways’ land record was now computerised and it had managed to retrieve 3,839 acres of land from land grabbers and department’s winning rate of legal cases was 83.6 percent. Despite all odds, Pakistan Railways had the credit of reducing fares instead of making any increase just to ensure provision of more relief to its passengers and such measures resulted in increase of 13.5 million passengers, said the AGM Abdul Majeed Razi. The CEO Aftab Akbar vowed to continue with improving the national entity of railways. Published in Daily Times, July 5th 2018.