ISLAMABAD   -   Pakistan Railways has planned to outsource the commercial management of additional trains to private entities under a public-private partnership (PPP) model through a transparent and competitive bidding process.

“The basic purpose of outsourcing the trains is to provide better facilities to the passengers and generate more revenue for the department,” official sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP.

The department initially invited tenders for this outsourcing initiative, but only three companies participated, offering bids below the benchmarked amount, they added.

As a result, they said Pakistan Railways deemed it unfeasible to proceed with these firms under the rules and regulations set by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA). Consequently, the department plans to re-advertise the tenders soon. They said a committee within Pakistan Railways observed that the bids submitted in the initial tender process were lacking in both technical and financial aspects, which would have resulted in a lack of competitiveness.

The sources emphasized that all trains will be outsourced through a transparent tendering process, adhering strictly to PPRA rules, with advertisements placed in leading newspapers.

Currently, Pakistan Railways operates 49 passenger trains, with 12 of these already managed by private entities under the PPP model. They remain optimistic about the success of the outsourcing plan. However, it is prepared to continue operating the trains independently if private parties fail to meet passenger expectations.