ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways on Sunday reported that over 41.91 million passengers traveled by train during the fiscal year 2023-24, a significant increase from 35.40 million in 2022-23, reflecting a rise of 6.51 million passengers.
According to the railway data, the total passenger earnings for the year amounted to Rs47.712 billion, surpassing the budgetary target by Rs8.712 billion. This marks an increase of Rs13.799 billion compared to the previous year’s earnings.
In addition to passenger revenue, Pakistan Railways generated Rs39.803 billion through other means, including freight, military traffic, property and land, scrap, and other sources.
Railway authorities are optimistic that passenger numbers will continue to grow in the coming year. Special arrangements have been made to improve passenger experience, including the introduction of state-of-the-art dining cars, mobile charging sockets in coaches, water dispensers for clean drinking water, and Ticket Vending Machines (TVMs) for easy ticket purchase.
To enhance accessibility, digital display boards for train arrivals and departures, as well as facilities such as wheelchairs and ramps for disabled passengers, have been installed at stations.
The department is also focusing on improving punctuality by removing speed restrictions through track maintenance, enhancing the signaling system with computerized interlocking, and performing timely maintenance of locomotives. New passenger coaches have been inducted to further enhance services.
In terms of passenger satisfaction, a state-of-the-art call center under the Railway Automated Booking and Travelling Assistance (RABTA) system has been established, and passengers can also lodge complaints through the website or complaint registers available at stations and trains. Contractors selling substandard products face penalties, and repeat offenses result in the termination of agreements with Pakistan Railways.
