Doubts cast on PR ‘business trains’ deal

KARACHI: A recent deal with a private firm to run ‘business trains’ is another example of thriving corruption/kick-backs culture of Pakistan, Manzoor Razi, central chairman of Railway Workers Union Open Line said Sunday.

Talking to news agency here, he said under the deal Pakistan railway would hand over three trains to the private firm, Four Brothers International, to run them on Karachi-Lahore route.

He said the firm would use locomotives, bogies, drivers, firemen, communication, and signaling network and even fuel of Pakistan Railways and 12 percent commission for just introducing their ticket checking staff is way too much.

He said when all burden would be borne by the Pakistan Railways, what is the logic in giving three trains to private sector, as these trains could be easily run by the Railways itself. He said that, we, the railway workers smell rat in the murky deal and would not allow the rulers to go with it.

He said nowhere in the world the railway is being run on such lines. He said if the private firm is keen to run trains in Pakistan, it should buy its own locomotives and bogies, appoint their own staff and pay rent to the PR for using its tracks and infrastructure.

He informed that a locomotive costs about Rs30 million and a complete train more than Rs1 billion.

He said if the Pakistan Railways handed three trains to the private sector under this questionable deal, the railway staff would resist harshly and would not allow compromising to the interests of nation.

He urged the PR to put its house in order and repair and run its locomotives and bogies to run railway itself. He said in whole world either governments run them or privatize the whole sector.

He said outsourcing government trains and railway infrastructure to private sector is in vogue nowhere in the world.

He asked the government to shun such tricks of pocketing commission and kickbacks and give serious attention to run the Pakistan Railways in better manner to facilitate citizens and to boost national economy.(PPI)