Balochistan has launched the Jinnah Peoples Metro Train Service in Quetta, introducing the province’s first metro train service with subsidized fares for passengers.
Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi inaugurated the service on Tuesday. Bugti said the train would provide residents with safe, comfortable and affordable transportation, particularly benefiting students, workers, professionals and other daily commuters.
Under the new service, senior citizens and persons with disabilities will be allowed to travel free of charge, while other passengers will pay subsidized fares.
The provincial government also plans to add a second train to eventually operate services in both directions. Work has started on extending the railway track toward Bostan Industrial Estate, while further extensions toward Pishin, Bostan and Mastung are also being considered.
Bugti said the original plan involved importing engines and coaches from China at an estimated cost of Rs. 50 billion to Rs. 60 billion. However, following a proposal from Abbasi, the government decided to manufacture the new engines and coaches through Pakistan Railways, which is expected to save time and resources while utilizing the national railway system’s existing capacity.
