ISLAMABAD
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Saturday, said that the railway system in any country served as backbone of economy and communication network. Chairing an important meeting on the matters related to Pakistan Railways, at the PM’s House, the prime minister directed that legal and economic experts of international-standards should be engaged, particularly for the projects related to regional connectivity and international train links.
He further stressed that a public-private partnership model should be adopted for matters related to railway property and land. The prime minister also appreciated the steps taken towards restoration of the railways system and commended Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi and his team for their work on the revival and up-gradation of Pakistan Railways. The meeting was attended by Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi, Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema and other senior government officials, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release.
The meeting was given a detailed briefing on the measures being taken to improve Pakistan Railways. It was informed that seven digital portals under ‘Rabta’ initiative were operational for the digitalization of Pakistan Railways, 56 trains had been shifted on it and 54 railway stations had been digitized.
The participants were informed that free wi-fi facility was provided at Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad railway stations while an additional 48 stations would get free wi-fi service by 31 December this year. It was further informed that an online freight booking system had been introduced.
A pilot project for a digital weighing bridge was launched at Karachi City Railway Station whereas in the next phase, this facility would be extended at Pipri, Karachi Cantonment, Port Qasim, Lahore, and Rawalpindi stations. At Rawalpindi railway station, 148 AI-powered surveillance cameras had been installed. ATM machines of various banks were being installed at the railway stations.
