LAHORE: The minister for railways and aviation announced a 10 to 15 percent reduction in the fares of freight trains during a news conference held in Lahore on Monday, Radio Pakistan reported.
This comes as part of Pakistan Railways’ 100-day plan, which includes the addition of new cargo trains running between Peshawar and Karachi.
In addition to the new cargo trains, Khawaja Saad Rafique also announced the inclusion of two more trains on the pattern of the Green Line, which will help reduce the load significantly on the existing train.
The minister further stated that Pakistan Railways’ land will be utilized for commercial purposes, while offices and stations will be converted to solar energy as part of their plan.
Furthermore, regarding Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Rafique announced that the airline will soon be launching direct flights to England and Europe.
Officials from Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) have been in talks with European authorities to restore direct PIA flights to the continent since late last year. PIA and other Pakistani carriers were banned from European airspace in 2020 following a suspected pilot license forgery scandal.
Currently, PIA serves destinations in the European Union, the UK, and the US through a code-sharing agreement with Turkish Airlines. This mechanism allows PIA to fly passengers directly to Istanbul and then on to 28 destinations across these markets.
