Railways seeks bids for public-private joint ventures
By Ali Imran

ISLAMABAD—Pakistan Railways (PR) has invited bids for setting up of commercial ventures on 33 years lease across the country, sources said.
The project aimed at generating additional revenuethrough public-private participation would an enable Railways to fund developments and upgrading of its core operations, the source said.
PR has identified 30 different areas which include Peshawar, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Sukkur, Quetta and Karachi.
The project is part of Ministry’s effort to launch new business ventures using surplus Railways assets coupled with capital investment fully provided by the private sector, he added. The official said that some of the other institutions, which have been commercialized including Railways hospitals, schools, clubs and sports stadiums.
Pakistan Railways has also invited pre-qualification from national and international firms for sale of Packaged Juice on Pakistan Railway Network, sale of mineral water, track rehabilitation, maintenance and construction activities, exclusive selling rights of carbonated soft drinks and establishing of pay-phone and PCOs.
He said that these commercial projects are primarilyinitiated on real estate assets, which were previously either unutilized or under threat of permanent encroachment.