Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Thursday informed the Senate that Pakistan Railways (PR) would generate more than Rs 12 billion revenue through freight trains in the current financial year.

He said the department was hoping to cross the set target of revenue generation in freight sector this year. Saad Rafique said ‘Fast Cargo’ train would be run between Karachi to Rawalpindi. He said that around 85 to 90 locomotives had been allocated for freight trains. He said that 55 locomotives are scheduled to arrive soon from United States and would be attached with freight trains.

The minister said that Pakistan Railways during the financial year 2013-14 loaded 76,307 wagons against loading of 46,617 wagons in the corresponding period of year 2012-13, thus 29,619 more wagons were loaded in the year 2013-14. He said that the earning from freight loading during 2013-14 was Rs 3.52 billion, whereas during the corresponding period 2012-13, it was Rs 1.957 billion. The net increase in earning was stood at Rs 1.572 billion with growth of 80.33 percent in one year, the minister told the Upper House.

However, freight loading during 2014-2015 was 176,155 wagons against loading of 76,307 wagons during 2013-2014, he maintained.

The earning from freight loading during 2014-2015 was Rs 8.34 billion against earning of Rs 3.52 billion during the corresponding period. The net increase in freight earning remained Rs 4.81 billion with growth of 136 percent during year 2014-15. app