Railways Reissuers Tender for 11 Train Outsourcing

Islamabad, July 21, 2025, 02:39 PM PKT — Pakistan Railways has relaunched a critical tender, seeking to outsource operations of 11 passenger trains via a public-private partnership (PPP) after a failed initial bid, reported officially. The trains—Hazara Express, Millat Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express, Subak Kharam, Thal Express, Rawal Express, Badar Express, Ghauri Express, Ravi Express, Mohenjo Daro Passenger, and Faiz Ahmad Faiz Passenger—face a second attempt, with technical bids opening on August 12. Railway officials admitted this marks the second push for private sector involvement, after the prior round drew only two proposals, both for Shalimar Express, leaving ten services bid-free.

The renewed effort aims to spur broader operator interest, addressing the initial lackluster response. Web context reveals ongoing privatization struggles, while posts found on X show mixed sentiment—some hope for service improvement, others question private sector readiness. Critically, the narrative of “enhancing efficiency” may mask underlying operational weaknesses—web data hints at past failures, and X sentiment suggests distrust in successful execution, pointing to potential setbacks.