‘Punctuality of trains reached 76% to 92% in last four months’

ISLAMABAD: The overall punctuality ratio of trains has improved from 76 to 92 per cent in four months owing to close monitoring and stern measures taken by Pakistan Railways at the divisional and ministry levels, a Pakistan Railways official said Sunday.

“With the punctuality of trains and concrete measures taken by the department in last four months, the number of passengers has increased by over 20 million, which is ample proof of the department’s achievement,” the state news agency quoted a PR official.

The official said that the department had taken several steps to end the deficit of the department including the introduction of RABTA, an initiative towards enhanced customer facilitation.

“The RABTA platform lets customers plan the trip, check train status, choose and purchase seats, order car rental, meals and refreshments and book hotels,” the official added.

To facilitate passengers, he said that a mobile application ‘Pakrail live’ had been launched for real-time tracking of trains.

The official said the high-capacity/high-speed hopper trucks had been inducted in the current fleet for swift movement/unloading of coal and new high-capacity high-speed rolling stock coaches and wagons were being procured.

He said that the online e-ticketing through online banking apps and credit cards had been introduced to facilitate passengers at their doorstep and attract more passengers through outsourcing of non-core activity.

“A policy for transfer of technology is being pursued in collaboration with the People’s Republic of China for indigenization of Railway Rolling Stock in Pakistan Railways facilities,” he added.