Pakistan Railways Hits Record Rs88 Billion Revenue in 2024

Pakistan Railways earned a record Rs88 billion in 2024, a 40% increase from the previous year, thanks to adding 10 new freight trains, increasing coach capacity, and improving services like executive washrooms and dining lounges.

A government review reported Rs33 billion in revenue for the first five months of FY2024-25, up 14% from last year. Between February and December 2024, total earnings hit Rs80.53 billion—Rs42.65 billion from passengers, Rs27.85 billion from freight, and Rs10.04 billion from other sources—compared to Rs68.38 billion in 2023.

They launched 10 new trains, bringing daily operations to 100, and boosted coach capacity to 19 per train from 15. A 2,500-foot freight train carrying 3,000 tons was added, and food menus on trains like Tezgam Express and Khyber Mail grew to over 40 options.

Air-conditioned executive washrooms started at Lahore Station, with plans to expand to 13 more stations. Train punctuality improved to 82% from 63% in 2019. Digitizing fuel management and shifting 17,810 electricity meters to DISCOs saved Rs2.5 billion.

Track repairs in 2023-24 covered 70.5 km, beating the 12 km goal. Platform shelters, signals, and electrification upgrades were completed ahead of schedule, and wagon maintenance exceeded targets.

Pakistan Railways is reviewing workloads to adjust staffing in operations, maintenance, and admin. They also started the E-Kachehri online platform to improve customer service and transparency.

Minister of State for Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani told the National Assembly that trains outsourced to private companies brought in Rs6.21 billion, an 84.71% jump from Rs3.36 billion. Outsourcing catering and upgrading dining cars boosted passenger experience, alongside new services like the RABTA platform and pay-to-use washrooms.

Catering upgrades hit trains like Hazara Express and Khyber Mail, with seven more, including Karachi Express, set for outsourcing. Premium trains like Shah Hussain Express now offer free extras, and freight services are being prioritized for better finances.

The railway’s 10,633 km track network is old and tough to maintain. Completed projects fixed tracks in Karachi and Sukkur and rebuilt flood-damaged sections from 2010. Upcoming plans for 2025-26 include safety upgrades on major routes like Hyderabad-New Chhor and Lahore-Rawalpindi, plus new track maintenance machines.

Kayani said ongoing investment in tracks, materials, and staff is key to keeping these improvements going and unlocking the railway’s full potential.