Islamabad: Pakistan Railways (PR) has decided to extend the suspension of its passenger train services till April 24 due to the ongoing COVID-19 breakout, a news source reported.
As per the publication, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said that the ministry would deliberate over reopening the train services after April 24, and reach a consensus after consulting with Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan and other senior government officials.
While passenger trains services have been stopped for now, the minister did say that the freight trains services would continue. He added that the PR had also offered the government to utilise trains as quarantine centres at the Chaman and Taftan Border.
Previously, the PR announced the suspension of its passenger train services to contain the spread of the coronavirus till March 31, and later, extended it to April 14 as the number of coronavirus cases increased. Last week, Rasheed informed that if the lockdown was lifted, the ministry was ready to run about twenty trains. He informed that meanwhile, the PR was suffering a loss of PKR 1 billion on a weekly basis due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
