ASSIGNMENT 3

The State of
Pakistan; Railway
Article by: Amer Z Durrani

Ayesha Waheed
Sp14-R11-008
To: Mr Nadeem Bukhari
4/17/2014

Acknowledgment
This article has been taken from:
http://tribune.com.pk/story/161882/the-state-of-pakistan-railways--i
http://tribune.com.pk/story/162482/the-state-of-pakistan-railways--ii
I emphasized on management and control, regarding the relevance
that how government sector fails to tackle the issues of governance.
Highlighted issues of fall of Pakistan railway. And suggested ways
according to the article, that how can they work for betterment.

The State Of Pakistan Railway

Railways are an important mode of transport. They are more
economical, environmentally less hazardous, easier to secure and safer
as compared to road transport. For all these reasons, railways are
extremely important for social and economic mobility in Pakistan.
Whether we talk of intra-city, regional, urban, freight or passenger
railways, in Pakistan there is only one railways services provider,
Pakistan Railways (PR).

Decline Of Pakistan Railway:

PRs decline started in the 1970s with the curtailment of its autonomy
and political interference in its affairs. One can probably write a
bestseller on the causes of the demise of the PR. Interference from
politicians and bureaucracy, inability to upgrade rolling stock and fixed
infrastructure, inability to modernize management practices and
mismanagement and corruption are the core reasons for this demise.
For now, let us focus on the last five years and see what has caused
the state of affairs at PR to go from bad to worse.

Ways To Improve:
Disasters are opportunities in disguise. Almost no public railway
organization in the world has been able to reform itself. This is because
there are no incentives for them to do so. They keep getting support
from the exchequer to improve efficiencies and economies, which
they can actually never really do. To be efficient and economical
requires firing people and cutting down loss-making services, all of
which public sector organizations are unable to do. So, nearly always,
public railways are reformed by outsiders.
The government should take affirmative action to make railways
a central tool for delivering on social integration and economic
development.
PR should only retain the core north-south railway fixed
infrastructure and the associated rolling stock and other
resources and liabilities; and the rest should be devolved to the
provinces and major cities.
For a new Pakistan to emerge there will have to be educated
criticism and inputs in all sectors, especially, infrastructure.
Pakistan Railways is part of that.
Best way to improve Pakistans railway is studying and
implementation of Swiss railway system which is most
modernize, equipped with latest technology and feasible for
implementation in Pakistan.

References:

http://tribune.com.pk/story/161882/the-state-of-pakistanrailways--i

http://tribune.com.pk/story/162482/the-state-of-pakistanrailways--ii