RABTA app to be released by railways with Chinese assistance.

The Pakistan Railways on Monday agreed to the launch of Railway Automated Booking and Travel Assistance with two Chinese businesses, M/s Easyway and M/s Norinco International Cooperation (RABTA).

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique described the effort as a win-win situation for the department while speaking to the media at Railways Headquarters. He claimed that M/s Norinco and M/s Easyway Company were working together.

According to Rafique, the project will enable travellers to organise their trip from home. According to him, the app will make it easier for users to handle their reservations, food orders, hotel reservations, and taxi-related concerns.

“This IT-based solution is not only for passengers’ facilitation but for maintaining railways income record earned through ticketing,” he further said.

The minister said that under the application, parcel booking and tracking facility would be available whereas passengers would also be able to access trains operation management system.

Rafique said the initiative was based on revenue sharing. He termed RABTA an important step to modernise railways operation. He said that soon train would be operated on Sibi-Harnai section, which he added would have a positive impact on the economy of four districts there.

He said a sub-office of railways had been opened in Gwadar adding that no port could work efficiently without railways.

He added that efforts were being made to minimise or overcome the delay in pensions and salaries.

According to Rafique, the railway furnace would be ready to use by the month of April.

He mentioned that a policy was being created for railway shops and added that “in addition to generating cash, we also need to create employment chances.”

He added that trains were also being assessed because an upgrade was required.

The minister stated that Main Line-1 would become financially viable if costs were decreased by 40%.