Pakistan Railways has decided to start a new Pakistan Railway auction system for outsourcing its passenger trains. The authority will hold open bidding instead of financial tenders to make the process more transparent and competitive.
Pakistan Railway Outsourcing Plan
Under the new Pakistan Railway outsourcing plan, 11 passenger and express trains will be auctioned on November 20, 2025. The list includes Hazara Express, Bahauddin Zakaria Express, Millat Express, Badr Express, Ghouri Express, Rawal Express, Thal Express, Mohenjo Daro Passenger, Fareed Express, Mianwali Express, and Faiz Ahmed Faiz Passenger.
This new Pakistan Railway auction method replaces the earlier tender model. Previously, Pakistan Railways had received financial bids worth Rs 7.9 billion to operate nine trains through the private sector. However, Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi cancelled those bids and directed the department to shift to an open auction format.
Why Does Pakistan Railway Outsourcing It’s Trains?
The focus of the new model of the Pakistan Railway outsourcing is to increase the efficiency of the train operations and bring in more revenues. The open tender will also allow the participation of the private operators with clear terms. This system will see increased competition and improvement of the management of train routes in the department.
Pakistan Railways will sign contracts in November 20 following the auction. The outcome will be known on which trains are secured by what operators and what the routes will be. The reform is in line with the government attempts to cut down the losses and enhance efficiency of the rail network.
