ISLAMABAD, October 30, 2026: Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi informed the National Assembly on Friday that Pakistan Railways has digitized its ticket booking system, allowing passengers to purchase tickets through mobile phones without visiting railway booking offices.
Responding to questions from Aliya Kamran and other lawmakers during Question Hour, the minister said passengers can now book train tickets using the Rabta mobile application as part of efforts to modernize railway services.
He said Pakistan Railways has installed 329 Point of Sale (POS) machines at 236 booking centers nationwide, enabling passengers to make payments through banks, Easypaisa, JazzCash and QR codes.
Abbasi said the department was working to bring its digital services in line with railway systems in developed countries, making ticket purchases more convenient and accessible.
Awam Express to be upgraded from November 2
The minister announced that Awam Express, operating from Peshawar, would be upgraded to modern train standards from November 2, 2026.
He said work was also underway to improve Hazara Express and Khyber Mail, with the latter scheduled to meet modern standards by the end of January 2027.
Responding to a supplementary question from Noor Alam Khan, Abbasi highlighted strong passenger demand for railway services in Balochistan.
He said a train operating in Quetta had recorded passenger demand reaching 190 percent of its seating capacity, reflecting the popularity of rail travel in the region.
Equal railway development across provinces
The railway minister assured lawmakers that Pakistan Railways would ensure equitable development of railway infrastructure across all provinces.
He described the railway network as a national asset connecting different parts of the country and stressed that no province would face discrimination in railway development projects.
Responding to another supplementary question, Abbasi explained that decisions regarding stops for Shalimar Express and other privately managed trains were made by their respective managements based on commercial considerations.
However, he announced that Pano Aqil Cantt Railway Station would be upgraded using Pakistan Railways’ own funds.
The minister assured the National Assembly that special measures would be taken to improve facilities at the station.
The planned train upgrades and expansion of digital ticketing services form part of Pakistan Railways’ ongoing efforts to modernize passenger operations and improve accessibility across the national railway network.