ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways (PR) is all set to increase rates of freight trains by 20 percent following the increase in prices of petroleum products.
The PR is facing over Rs 3 billion financial burdens due to increase in the oil prices, Business Recorder reported.
Official sources revealed that 20 percent increase in freight train fares would be applicable after August 10, 2019 because of the recent increase in oil prices. The increasing oil prices have left the PR with no option but to increase the fares of all of the passenger trains.
The PR operating cost for 2019-20 is estimated at Rs 22.83 billion against the revised Rs 20.985 billion for 2018-19.
The PR increased passenger trains fares by up to around 17 percent during the last one year. According to a PR spokesman, the increase in the fares has been done through a rational way after the careful study of the fares of road and air transport.
The current increase in the fares would reduce the additional burden of deficit being faced by Pakistan Railways, he added.
Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed had announced that fares of economy classes would be increased up to Rs 100, while six to seven percent increase would be made for other classes from July 1 in wake of the recent oil prices hike.
He said rail fares would have to be revised as PR had to face additional burden of Rs 3 billion owing to increase in oil prices in international market, adding that no fare would be increased for traveling less than 50 kilometers.
The PR had increased the fare for Green Line Express – the only VIP train running between Islamabad and Karachi – in April last.