A Keynote Address on “Roadmap for Revival of Pakistan Railways” was held on Friday, 22-05-2026 at National Institute of Public Administration, Lahore. Mr. Muhammad Hanif Gul presented an insightful analysis of the historical decline and revival roadmap for Pakistan Railways (PR). He traced PR’s journey from being South Asia’s most efficient transport network in the 1950s and 60s to its current state of underperformance and heavy financial losses. The speaker attributed this downfall to outdated infrastructure, lack of strategic leadership, and weak decision-making following the absence of a functional Railway Board since the 1990s. He compared Pakistan’s shrinking passenger ridership and freight operations with countries like India, China, and the U.S, highlighting that PR’s freight share is below 10%, compared to over 40% in developed economies.

He emphasized that the global railway industry has modernized through high-speed and electrified systems, while Pakistan continues to rely on century-old tracks and obsolete rolling stock. Outlining a detailed roadmap for reform, Mr. Gul proposed a phased approach: short-term measures (1-3 years) focusing on repair of critical infrastructure and establishment of a new SOE framework; medium-term goals (4-6 years) emphasizing land value transformation and commercial development; and long-term (7-10 years) strategies for operational and financial sustainability through global partnerships and standard gauge conversion. He urged modernization of ML-1, ML-2, and ML-3 under CPEC, digitization of operations, and integration of railways with roads, ports, and airports to enhance national connectivity.

Drawing on successful global models from Japan, Hong Kong, and the UK, he stressed the need for visionary leadership, institutional reforms, and policy continuity. His concluding message was clear: only through modernization, governance reforms, and national commitment can Pakistan Railways transition from economic stagnation to a sustainable growth trajectory.

The keynote address was followed by a regulated Q&A session, offering participants an opportunity to engage with the guest speaker and seek clarity on various problems faced by PR and the operational solutions for those problems.