Overview
- At a high-level review, the prime minister directed hiring international-standard legal and economic experts for cross-border rail projects and urged public‑private partnerships for railway land and property.
- Officials reported seven Rabta digital portals live with 56 trains integrated and 54 stations digitised, plus free Wi‑Fi already at four major stations with 48 more slated by December 31.
- An online freight booking system is active and a digital weighing bridge pilot launched at Karachi City Station, with planned expansion to Pipri, Karachi Cantonment, Port Qasim, Lahore and Rawalpindi.
- Outsourcing is under way with four trains and 40 goods and brake vans already outsourced, expected to generate about Rs9.32 billion overall including Rs820 million from vans, while two cargo express trains are projected to add Rs6.3 billion.
- Upgrades include 155 stations shifted to solar power, 148 AI surveillance cameras installed at Rawalpindi, improved station facilities, closure of three state-run rail companies, and planning for ML‑1/ML‑3 upgrades, Thar connectivity and international links such as the Islamabad‑Tehran‑Istanbul service and the KUAP corridor.