LAHORE: Pakistan Railways has signed an agreement with Chinese companies, M/s Easyway and M/s Norinco International Cooperation, for the launch of the Railway Automated Booking and Travel Assistance (RABTA) system.
The Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique, announced the initiative during a media briefing at the Railways Headquarters and stated it was a win-win situation for the department.
The system will allow passengers to plan their journeys from the comfort of their own homes by managing tickets, seat reservations, food, hotel, and taxi arrangements, among others.
According to Rafique, the RABTA initiative will help modernize railway operations and increase revenue through ticketing while the system will also include a parcel booking and tracking facility and access to the trains’ operation management system.
The Sibi-Harnai section of the railway is set to go live soon, which Rafique believes will have a positive impact on the economy of 4 districts, while a sub-office of the railways has also been opened in Gwadar to support port operations, he added.
The minister also mentioned that a policy is being developed for the railway shops to provide employment opportunities and the upgrade of trains is being evaluated, and the cost-cutting of the Main Line-1 project is aimed at making it more viable.
