LAHORE, Feb 9: The cash-starved Pakistan Railways re-launched on Saturday the shuttle train between Shahdara and Kot Lakhpat that was suspended around three months after its inauguration last year declaring it commercially unviable.

The economy class train was launched a day before the formal inauguration of Metro Bus Service.

Initially, for a week or so, the four-coach train would run four times a day between Shahdara and Kot Lakhpat and its fare will be Rs10 per passenger. Later, it would run every hour and its route would also be extended to Raiwind, a railways official told Dawn after the inauguration by Evacuee Trust Property Board Chairman Asif Hashmi at Shahdara railway station.

Earlier, the train had been launched on April 24 last year between Lahore and Shahdara railway stations on the directive of then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani charging Rs30 per passenger. Later, the route was extended to Kot Lakhpat and the fare
reduced by Rs10.

However, it failed to attract passengers and the railway authorities formally announced its closure on July 6.