Ticket sales used to pay salaries of railway workers

FAISLABAD: Railway workers in the city are praying that ticket sales increase, because instead of receiving their salaries from the bank, they will instead be paid from funds received from ticket sales, Geo News reported.

According to Railways sources, there are no oil supplies and hence there are no funds to pay the salaries of its employees. The State Bank has not released salaries, which led to this unsual method of paying salaries being adopted. Money obtained from ticket sales is not being deposited but instead is being used to pay the salaries of railways workers.

According to Railways officials, 50% of employees will receive their salaries on Tuesday, while it was expected that the rest of the salaries would be paid soon. Due to this process, workers are hoping that ticket sales increase.

Pakistan Railways has been on the decline and plagued with numerous problems. With each passing day an engine of the Pakistan Railways becomes non-operational. The PR does not have engines to run trains and has run out of funds.

During a press conference on Monday Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour said that fuel to run the engines had run out and diesel supplies would only last for two days. He said the government had not released the allocated funds adding that the time was near when Pakistan Railways would have to shut down.