Rail transport in Pakistan

Pakistan Railways

Native name	پاکستان ریلویز
Type	State-owned enterprise
Industry	Rail Transport
Predecessor	North Western State Railway
Founded	13 May 1861 (155 years ago) (1861-05-13)
Headquarters	Lahore, Pakistan
Area served	Pakistan
Key people	Khawaja Saad Rafique (Minister of Railways, 2013)
Services	Rail Transport Cargo Transport Parcel carrier Catering
Revenue	₨31.9 billion (US$300 million) (2015–16)
Operating income	₨64.2 billion (US$610 million) (2015–16)
Net income	₨28.0 billion (US$270 million) (2015–16)
Owner	Government of Pakistan
Number of employees	78,031 (2015)
Parent	Ministry of Railways
Divisions	6
Website	www.railways.gov.pk www.pakrail.gov.pk

Pakistan Railways (reporting mark PR) (Urdu: پاکستان ریلویز‎), formerly also known as the Pakistan Western Railway between 1947 to 1974, is the a national state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns 7,400 miles (11,881 km) of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi and operates both freight and passenger train services. In 2014, the Ministry of Railways launched "Pakistan Railways Vision 2025" which, along with the ₨886.68 billion (US$8.5 billion) China–Pakistan Economic Corridor railway upgrade, seeks to reinvigorate Pakistan Railways by increasing its share in the transportation sector from 4% to 20% by 2025. The plans include the acquisition of new locomotives, developing and improving current rail infrastructure, increasing average train speeds, improving punctuality and expanding passenger services. The first phase of the project will be completed in December 2017, while the second phase will be completed by 2021. Pakistan Railways is an active member of the International Union of Railways.

The history of rail transport in Pakistan covers the period beginning in 1855 during the British Raj, when several railway companies began laying track and operating in what is today Pakistan, and ending during the present-day nationalised company under the name of Pakistan Railways. The railway system in Pakistan was originally built as a patchwork of local rail links operated by small private railway companies. These included the Scinde Railway, Punjab Railway, Delhi Railway and Indus Steam Flotilla companies. In 1870, these 4 companies were amalgamated into the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway company. Shortly thereafter, several other railways lines were built including the Indus Valley State Railway, Punjab Northern State Railway, Sind–Sagar Railway, Sind–Pishin State Railway, Trans–Baluchistan Railway and Kandahar State Railway. These 6 companies along with the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway company merged together to form the North Western State Railway in 1880. Between 1880 to 1947, the North Western State Railway expanded throughout Punjab and Sindh. In 1947, when Pakistan achieved its independence from Britain, the majority of the North Western State Railway infrastructure fell under Pakistan's territory and was renamed to Pakistan Western Railway. In East Bengal, portions of the Assam Bengal Railway fell under Pakistan's territory and was thus renamed to Pakistan Eastern Railway. During the early years after independence, the railway system underwent reorganisation, some of which proved controversial. Pakistan adopted 8,122 kilometres (5,047 mi) of the North Western State Railway - of this 6,880 kilometres (4,280 mi) was 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in), 506 kilometres (314 mi) was 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in), and 736 kilometres (457 mi) was 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge. From 1948, usage of railways increased and the network became profitable. From 1950 to 1955, the Mashriq-Maghreb Express operated from Koh-e-Taftan in West Pakistan to Chittagong in East Pakistan, using Indian railway track and rolling stock for a 1986 km (1245 miles) journey between Attari and Benapole. In 1954, the a branch line was extended from the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line to Mardan and Charsada. In 1956, the Jacobabad-Kashmore 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 ³⁄₈ in) gauge line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in). In 1974, Pakistan Western Railways was renamed to Pakistan Railways. The Kot Adu-Kashmore section of the was constructed between 1969 and 1973 providing an alternative route from Karachi to northern Pakistan. In February 2006, the 126 km Hyderabad–Khokhrapar Branch Line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in). On 8 January 2016, the Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line double rail project was completed. Over the years Pakistan Railways has been criticized for its deteriorating quality of services and declining number of passengers and trains. The railway used to be the predominant mode of transportation in Pakistan until 1965. At its peak between 1955 and 1960, PR handled 73% of freight traffic, compared to less than 4% in 2015. During 1970s, Pakistan Railways also had the largest passenger carrier share in transportation. Unfortunately, its role as a catalyst for economic development has received a setback due to significant under-investment by successive governments who preferred investment in road infrastructure at the cost of railways. Declining passenger numbers and financial losses in the late 1980s to early 1990s prompted the closure of many branch lines and small stations. The 1990s saw severe cuts in rail subsidies and mismanagement within the company. Due to falling passenger numbers, rail subsidies from the government are necessary to keep the railways financially viable.