Pakistan Railways to buy 16 new train power plants worth over Rs3bn

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways has begun work on a plan to replace ageing power plants installed in express and passenger trains across the country, while also overhauling older units in phases, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said.

Speaking on Tuesday, Abbasi said the department planned to procure 16 new power plants by December this year at a cost of more than Rs3 billion. He said the process related to bidding, tendering and shortlisting was currently under way.

Abbasi also said outlived and non-functional plants were being sent for overhaul on a phased basis. By March next year all trains will be equipped with either new or overhauled and properly maintained plants, a move he said would help reduce passenger complaints.

Pakistan Railways has 95 plants in total, of which 45 are currently being used on different trains, while the rest are non-functional. The department had not given proper attention to maintenance of these plants over the last six to seven years, leading passengers to face problems related to electricity supply, air-conditioning and lighting during travel. In some cases passengers were also affected by fires caused by short-circuits and power fluctuations.

There is also a proposal to replace smaller power plants installed in local passenger trains, although work on that project has not yet started. The current project was aimed at adding around seven new or overhauled plants into the train operation system.

Revenue claims for 2025-26

Separately, Pakistan Railways management said it had recorded its highest annual revenue so far at Rs115 billion in the 2025-26 fiscal year, showing a 24 per cent increase from a year earlier.

In a statement, the department said the rise reflected growth in passenger, freight and commercial operations. Freight revenue increased to Rs41 billion, up 28pc, while sundry revenue rose to Rs16 billion, up 91pc.

The statement added that cash inflows reached Rs120 billion, 25pc higher than the previous year, which it said had improved liquidity, working capital and financial resilience. The operating cost ratio improved to around 85pc from nearly 99pc in the preceding financial year.

Total revenue of Rs115.157bn comprised Rs50.5bn from passenger trains, Rs3.1bn from other coaching, Rs40.7bn from freight, Rs11.9bn from sundry sources, Rs1.9bn from scrap, Rs2.1bn from commercial operations and Rs316 million from other sources.