Pakistan Railways has announced changes in the departure timings of three passenger trains leaving from Lahore to Karachi.
According to the new schedule, the Business Express will now depart from Lahore at 6:30 PM instead of its previous time of 4:30 PM. The Karachi Express, which was scheduled to leave at 6:00 PM, will now depart at 8:00 PM.
Meanwhile, the Shah Hussain Express will leave at 10:15 PM, delayed by over an hour from its earlier 9:00 PM departure time. This development comes a few days after Pakistan Railways increased passenger fares by 2% due to the recent hike in diesel prices.
The fare adjustment also extends to the freight sector, where coal transportation charges have been raised by 3%, and fertilizer rates by 2%. The price of diesel has increased by Rs. 11.37 per liter, placing a heavy financial burden on the national rail operator.
According to railway officials, the hike has resulted in an additional daily cost of Rs. 3.99 million for fuel, pushing the monthly operational burden to around Rs. 119.5 million.