LAHORE – Pakistan Railways has decided to outsource 15 additional passenger trains and has formally invited private-sector participation through an advertisement.
The railway department has once again opted to operate trains in collaboration with private companies. An open auction for the selected trains will be held on June 16 at the Railway Headquarters in Lahore, where the bidding process will take place.
According to sources, several private firms have been declared eligible to participate in the auction. The trains proposed for outsourcing include Hazara Express, Awam Express, Karakoram Express, Karachi Express, Millat Express, Fareed Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express, Ravi Express, Lasani Express, Thal Express, Mianwali Express, Sukkur Express, Narowal Passenger, Sialkot Express, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz Passenger.
Pakistan Railways had previously attempted to outsource some trains through open auctions, but the initiative received limited interest from the private sector. Sources said bids were submitted for only a few trains, while no companies showed interest in several others.
Sources further revealed that one private company had acquired the Mianwali Express under an earlier outsourcing arrangement but later returned the train after operating it for some time, citing various reasons.
