Tickets sale of first-ever private train starts

[Haider53]

LAHORE: Sale of tickets for Pakistan’s first-ever train of private sector started on Saturday when Pakistan Railways (PR) Chairman Muhammad Arif Azeem booked a ticket to travel on maiden journey of the train from Lahore to Karachi from a specially built modern look booking booth at Lahore Railways Station. He said it would be a successful example of public-private partnership. Railways would provide all possible support to make this project a success The first Business Train will be operational from January 15, 2012.
The PR management expects the department will earn Rs 1.15 billion per year through this project. Four Brothers International Private Limited, a private company, invested Rs 225.786 million to bring substantive changes to value adding in the passenger services. Besides a modern booking booth, the Company has also built a special passenger Lounge at the city’s main station, which was inaugurated by the General Manager (Operations) Saeed Akhtar recently.
“International standard facilitates will be provided to the passengers in this train, which will be operated between Lahore and Karachi, said organisers of train service.” According to the agreement, the Four Brothers Pvt Limited would provide food and catering service for the passengers in the lounges and in the Business Train. The Business Trains would consist of nine Business-Class air-conditioned coaches, with a journey time of 18 hours. It is expected mostly business community would travel through the train. The PR is likely to start more such trains in Sialkot and Faisalabad.

[usmanulamin]

very good news ... i wish it remains good in pakistan ... btw can u post some pix of the train and the lounge,booking booth etc ..

[aqs29]

Wish PR all the best

[shazaryab]

That,s is why the railway was throw-in this positioned. The Govt. is doing the same with the PIA to let Private company to invest in planes. Why these both institution were in profit few years back.PIA and Railway employment was best in the country due to their salaries and benefits.

[sulemanmirza]

That,s is why the railway was throw-in this positioned. The Govt. is doing the same with the PIA to let Private company to invest in planes. Why these both institution were in profit few years back.PIA and Railway employment was best in the country due to their salaries and benefits.

100% agreed..!!

Salary and pension structure for Railway was the best in Pakistan...!!

[sjehsan]

i dont know wat happened with PR and wats happening!!! i just wanted our Train industry to grow up!!!! Best of luck Pakistan Railways!!!

[Haider53]

?BBC Urdu? - ????? ?????? - ???????? ???? ?????????

[uziuzair]

Fare

Fare includes meals, snacks, tea and beverages served by Pearl Continental Hotel, Lahore.

CLASS 1 WAY- 2 WAY
Y class 5,000 -9,000
E class 5,500 -10,000
S class 6,000 -11,000

Add Rs:100 for home delivery in Lahore and Rs:200 for home delivery in other cities.
All classes offer same facilities. Your travel class depends how early you pay and confirm your ticket.
Cancellation policy: 25% deduction if you cancel 72 hours before departure. 50% deduction if you cancel 24 hours before departure. 75% deduction if you cancel within 24 hours.
Name: *

[usmanulamin]

Edited

[kazmi_muzammil]

cool i will travel soon then..

[Bilaltq]

There's a fatal flaw in this plan:

"The Business Trains would consist of nine Business-Class air-conditioned coaches, with a journey time of 18 hours. It is expected mostly business community would travel through the train."

A businessman isn't going to spend 18 hours in a train if he's traveling for business. There was a reason the Concorde made sense- it was fast. This "modern train" is slow.

[2468]

There's a fatal flaw in this plan:

"The Business Trains would consist of nine Business-Class air-conditioned coaches, with a journey time of 18 hours. It is expected mostly business community would travel through the train."

A businessman isn't going to spend 18 hours in a train if he's traveling for business. There was a reason the Concorde made sense- it was fast. This "modern train" is slow.

The pace of business train is still faster than the pace of business in Pakistan currently, and in the era of global communication, Concord is nothing.

[Haider53]

ISLAMABAD: "Business Express" first non stop train between Lahore and Karachi on the basis of public-private partnership will operate from February 3.An official of Pakistan Railways told APP that a Memorandum of Understanding has already been signed with Ms Four Brothers (pvt) limited to run the train daily between the two cities.Ms Four Brothers will invest Rs 225.786 million in the Business Train, which will consist of 13 coaches including nine air conditioned coaches, two power vans, one luggage van and one brake van.Reservation for the train has also started. The reservation process is underway at the Business Lounge adjacent to the Lahore Cantt Railways Station and the booking office at Railways headquarters beside through website Pak Business Express | World Class Traveling from Lahore to Karachi and by telephone.The facility of home delivery of tickets is also available against Rs 100 courier fee in Lahore while reservation facility in Karachi is available at Karachi Cantt station.The Pakistan Railways and M/s four Brother International (Pvt) Ltd had signed an agreement on August 18 last year to operate the train between Punjab and Sindh capitals as a joint venture under public private partnership.The train was to start running between Lahore city and Karachi Cantt within 120 days of signing the agreement but its inauguration had to be postponed because coaches could not be renovated and upgraded according to the standards of the private company.Special meals and beverages will be served during the journey which will be part of the agreement.The train will leave Karachi city at 1530 hours and reach Lahore at 0935 hours the next day while the down special will leave Lahore at 1530 hours to arrive at Karachi city at 1000 hours the next day after having technical stoppages at Khanewal and Rohi.It will pay Rs. 1.573 million per single train journey and Rs. 1.148 billion per annum to railways at the rate of 88 percent of carrying capacity of the train.The agreement will be extended for another term with the consent of both the parties.At present, three trains Farid Express, Rohi Express and Hazara Express are commercially operated by Pakistan Railways Advisory and Consultancy Services (Pracs), an organisation formed by retired Railway officers.

[immad96]

There's a fatal flaw in this plan:

"The Business Trains would consist of nine Business-Class air-conditioned coaches, with a journey time of 18 hours. It is expected mostly business community would travel through the train."

A businessman isn't going to spend 18 hours in a train if he's traveling for business. There was a reason the Concorde made sense- it was fast. This "modern train" is slow.

x1.


Only worth if it take 12 - 14hours for Lahore - Karachi. Leave Lahore @ 6PM and reach Karachi sharp @ 8am. If 185hours than useless.

[v8]

pics cropped from video

[Farukhz7]

the waiting area looks super awesome to me

[afnan_88]

this is not for businessman who want to travel to khi - lhr to attend meetings lol , its for those guys small traders or businessman who come to khi for buying goods n then supplying in lahore ,they cant travel in planes coz of weight limit n high fares

[fahadsoulsnatcher911]

Nice hope it catches on its a good project

[tayyabchaudhary]

Very good.Bus Allah karay ye department Balor Sahab se dooooor rahay!!!

[chinyoti]

@op, This is not a Private train (its a Public-Private partnership)

There's a fatal flaw in this plan:

"The Business Trains would consist of nine Business-Class air-conditioned coaches, with a journey time of 18 hours. It is expected mostly business community would travel through the train."

A businessman isn't going to spend 18 hours in a train if he's traveling for business. There was a reason the Concorde made sense- it was fast. This "modern train" is slow.

Its not a alternate for airplanes, its an alternate for people traveling on Daewoo busses and on private cars. For which it is very much feasible and to me the plan would work very okay, And if its a success trains for common man would also become better, Airlines would introduce better packages. Bus service would have competetion they would also improve and become more competitive.

To me its a workable plan. All bogies are new or have been newly made for the new project. So if the trains are departed and arrives on time. Its great.

Train travelling is a whole lot fun. Just because of train delays people have forgotten its charm. People need to look into it again.

Long term plan but just imagine going to a hill station on a train. (woof what secenry its going to be). High speed or low speed. Once things start coming on a track better ment would come with time. I see something positive happening id like to support it.