Pakistan Railways (PR) has announced a massive hike between 30 to 35 percent in cargo train fares due to inflating petroleum prices.
According to the details, PR has raised the tariffs of the 501 Up and 502 Down freight trains that operate between Lahore’s Badami Railway Station and Karachi from Rs. 265,790 to Rs. 350,000.
Likewise, the charges of 503 Up and 504 Down, which runs between Faisalabad and Karachi, have also been increased from Rs. 173,765 to Rs. 229,670.
Moreover, the freight train cost between Multan and Karachi has also been raised from Rs. 201,480 to Rs. 265,950.
The decision has infuriated the business community, which has begun sending their shipments via road transport instead. This is why several freight trains were not operating from several stations, including Multan.
Conversely, PR officials have maintained that cargo train charges are still fairly low compared to road transportation.
Previously, PR increased the fares of two trains, the Tezgam Express and the Jafar Express, with immediate effect.
According to details, Tezgam’s economy class fare for the Rawalpindi-Karachi route was raised from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,500, while the Rawalpindi-Lahore route’s cost was increased from Rs. 500 to Rs. 950.
In addition, PR also increased the Jafar Express ticket price from Rs. 2,860 to Rs. 3,700 for the Rawalpindi-Quetta route.
