Pakistan Railways (PR) has increased passenger train fares by 2% following a rise in diesel prices. The freight sector has also seen adjustments, with coal rates up by 3% and fertiliser rates by 2%, officials confirmed, Express News reported.
The price of diesel surged by Rs 11.37 per litre, imposing an additional daily cost of Rs 3.99 million and a monthly burden of around Rs 119.5 million on the state-owned operator.
Pakistan Railways consumes approximately 350,000 litres of diesel per day.
Meanwhile, PR is preparing to relaunch the refurbished Pak Business Express, a once-celebrated public-private partnership (PPP) train service that later collapsed due to operational and financial issues.
Read: PR gears up for new Business Express
The prime minister is expected to inaugurate the revamped train in the coming days, promising upgraded coaches, better seating, Wi-Fi, and improved catering.
Launched in 2012 under a PPP between Pakistan Railways and Four Brothers Group, the train was intended to modernise travel on the Lahore-Karachi route.
The private partner managed onboard services while PR provided locomotives and track access. However, the venture faced internal resistance from the railway bureaucracy and financial mismanagement by the private firm.
Payment defaults led to legal disputes, and by 2015, PR took full control, ending the partnership.
