Updated on
Summary
The government has allowed 30 percent increase in trains fares, while the axing of some 20,000 employees is also on the cards, Dunya News reported on Thursday. GM Railway Operations Ashfaq Khattak, while briefing National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways, said that Federal Cabinet has approved 10-30 percent hike in train fares, which would be enforced within 10 days. He said that 10 percent hike in passenger trains fares while 15 percent in inter-city trains would be made; 20 percent raise in Express Trains while Non-stop trains fare would be risen by 25 percent. The freight fares would be up by 30 percent. He told the standing committee that the Railways employees have been reduced to 84, 000 from 1, 45000, while another 20,000 employees would be fired. He said that the government has made a Rs 11.5 billion bailout package of which Rs 610 billion would be spent on the repair of engines. He claimed that Pakistan Railways would be bailed out within 3-4 years. The Standing Committee has approved a unanimous resolution to give out Rs5 billion to the Railways.
