Govt solarizes 37 railway stations to save Rs163m annually

August 27, 2025 (MLN): The government has successfully shifted 37 railway stations to solar power, a move aimed at reducing reliance on conventional electricity and saving an estimated Rs163.52 million in annual energy costs.

According to documents reviewed by Wealth Pakistan, nine of these stations are located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and 28 in Punjab. Among Punjab’s solarized stations are Lahore Cantt, Raiwind, Walton, Hassanabdal, Taxila, Chaklala, Okara City, Gujranwala, Gujrat and Kot Lakhpat, while Kundian, Peshawar City, Attock City, Nowshera, and Jand are among those in KP.

The initiative is part of a broader plan to solarize 155 railway stations nationwide at an estimated cost of Rs450m. By December this year, solarization of another 42 stations is expected to be completed.

This includes 23 stations in the Multan division and nine in Rawalpindi, with combined costs of Rs43.83m and Rs26.81m, respectively. These projects alone are projected to save Rs40.4m annually.

Similarly, work is under way to solarize 10 stations in Balochistan at a cost of Rs13.39m, generating savings of Rs9.18m each year.

Financial evaluations are also ongoing for solarization of 76 more stations 61 in Sindh and 15 in Balochistan with estimated costs of Rs183.23m and Rs15m, respectively.

Once complete, these projects are expected to lower annual electricity bills by Rs113.86m.

A senior Railways official said the government had prioritized infrastructure upgrades in recent years as part of efforts to modernize the department and cut recurring expenses.

He noted that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has recently agreed to finance the upgrade of a 500-kilometre stretch from Karachi to Rohri, while the Punjab government has shown readiness to dualize tracks in the province.

He added that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project linking Karachi to Peshawar remains a centerpiece of Pakistan’s rail strategy, promising improved freight and passenger services as well as stronger regional connectivity with Central Asia.

The official further highlighted Punjab’s financial backing for the Rawalpindi-Lahore fast train project, which will reduce travel time between the two cities, as evidence of the government’s strong commitment to railway modernization.

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