PR Outsource Three More Trains, Agreements Signed

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th August, 2016) : Pakistan Railways (PR) on Tuesday signed three agreements for outsourcing the commercial managements of three more trains "Hazara Express, Bolan Mail and Fareed Express" here at Railways Headquarters. According to a spokesman of the PR, in response to an advertisement appearing in national dailies, private parties bought the bid documents for outsourcing the commercial management of Bolan Mail,Hazara Express and Fareed Express. After bids' evaluation two parties were declared successful for operating the three express trains.Syed Jamil and Company offered maximum bid for two trains: Rs 1052.921 million for Hazara Express and Rs 932.921 million for Fareed Express while M/s Rano Khan Jiskani and Company offered maximum bid of 520.159 million for Bolan Mail. All these bids were more than the total annual income of the outsourced trains.

Khushhal Khan Khattak Express has already been outsourced and running from August 1, 2016 while these three trains will be operational from August 14, 2016. Pakistan Railways will get an income of Rs 3350.916 million through these four trains.

Under the agreements, the contractor will deposit with CCT (chief cashier and treasurer), Lahore, seven days round trip amount in advance along with 10 per cent withholding tax on normal working days.

The party taking over the proposed business shall print and issue its own computerised tickets in advance. The agreement will be valid for three years and fourth year has been conditioned with mutual understanding and performance of the successful bidder. The contractors will receive Rs 5 from passengers as insurance and pay to PR while the bidders will also bound to provide 5 percent quota to Railway employees.

Addressing the ceremony,CEO Javed Anwar assured the private partners to provide best of the facilities and services by the railways and hoped for same spirit by the contractors for the passengers. He said that more trains would be outsourced under public private partnership on success of these agreements.

Additional GM Mechanical Liaqat Ali Chughtai,Add. GM Infrastructure Hamyun Rasheed, Chief Operating Superintendent Muhammad Aslam,Chief Commercial Marketing Abdul Hameed Razi, Chief Commercial Manager Passengers Khalid Khursheed,Chief Mechanical Engineer Shahid Aziz, Chief Mechanical Engineer Carriage and Wagon Adnan Shafey and other were also present on the occasion.