Pakistan Railways has entered into a joint venture with two Chinese companies to improve its services with the aid of information technology. As per this joint agreement, Pakistan railway is set to launch RABTA app that will allow customers to buy tickets online. The name of this Pakistan Railways app, RABTA, basically stands for Railway Automated Booking & Travel Assistance.
The Pakistan railways app will allow customers to buy tickets, meals, lodgings, and even cabs to and from the station. It will also let the customers book shipments and access train schedules. It is common for companies to give a discount to their customers if they use the companies’ apps, but the Railways Minister indicated that buying a ticket via the Pakistan railways app will charge customers an additional Rs. 9. per train ticket.
The Pakistan railways app RABTA is being developed with the Chinese on the basis of a revenue-sharing agreement and may improve the railways’ operations significantly.
Meanwhile, a spike in petroleum prices prompted Pakistan Railways to increase train tariffs by 8% on 1 February except for the Green Line. According to a spokesperson for Railways, the latest diesel price cost the department Rs. 10 million daily, leading to the fare increase.
Train Bogies From China
At the beginning of this year, Pakistan received train bogies from China worth $149 million. This happened in another joint agreement made between Pakistan railways and Chinese companies. This faced controversy when a Twitter account alleged that these bogies were not fit for the Pakistani railway tracks.
The allegations were countered by Federal Minister for Aviation & Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique, who claimed that this was fake news created out of jealousy. Rafique also claimed that these bogies were perfectly fit for the Pakistani tacks and will be on track within January 2023. The high-speed bogies were tested on Pakistani tracks in December 2022 and were deemed fit to operate.
What do you think about this Pakistan railways app? Would you use it? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!
