QUETTA: Quetta has officially stepped into a new era of public transport with the launch of the Jinnah People’s Train, the city’s very first mass transit railway service designed to provide affordable and reliable daily commutes.
The service was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Quetta Railway Station by Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti and Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi. The launch event was attended by senior government officials, railway authorities, elected representatives, and local citizens.
The Jinnah People’s Train runs between Kuchlak and Sariab, connecting some of Quetta’s most densely populated areas. This vital link offers daily commuters, students, and workers seamless access to the city center, commercial markets, educational institutions, and workplaces.
Highlighting the vision behind the project, Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Mir Liaqat Lehri noted that the initiative was undertaken in close collaboration with the Ministry of Railways to tackle Quetta’s growing transportation challenges.
“Thousands of people travel daily from Kuchlak, Sariab, and surrounding areas into Quetta city. The Jinnah People’s Train provides them with a safe, reliable, and economical means of transport,” Lehri stated, emphasizing its role in easing the financial burden on citizens amidst soaring fuel and private transport costs. While private transport on certain routes can cost passengers between PKR 500 and 600, train fares have been kept heavily subsidized—comparable to the city’s popular Green and Pink bus services.
Urging community ownership, Lehri reminded citizens that public infrastructure is a collective asset. He praised local residents for previously standing against the vandalism of public buses, proving that the community recognizes public transport as their own. “The train and buses belong to the public. Their protection is the collective responsibility of all citizens,” he added.
The provincial government is preparing to introduce 27 electric buses to serve feeder routes, connecting residential neighborhoods, expanding suburbs, and educational hubs to major transport corridors.
To support youth employment and daily wage workers, CM Mir Sarfraz Bugti has approved a proposal to provide 10,000 Zarange load-carrying rickshaws on subsidized financing and easy monthly installments, enabling locals to launch small businesses and secure sustainable incomes.
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