ISLAMABAD: Minister for Pakistan Railways has said that the lockdown is causing the department a weekly loss of Rs1 billion since the lockdown has been in place.
“We are bound by the government’s decision, but if this lockdown is over, we will run 20 trains, as they are needed [in view of existing demand],” Rasheed said while addressing a press conference in Lahore.
He said that the department will start its freight service with the prime minister’s permission from the 15th.“In the last two days before the lockdown, more than 165,00 passengers travelled in trains,” he noted. The federal minister assured that pensioners and railway employees should not be worried as they had data of nearly 1,670 coolies, which has been sent to the Ehsaas Programme for income support.
Rasheed said that no employee of Pakistan Railways has contacted the virus and the situation in the country is better as compared to some other countries. The situation will become clearer on April 14; if not, the department will not resume train operations in the country.
