Pakistan Railways has announced a major reduction in luxury salon fares, making high-end travel far more affordable for the public. These salons were previously reserved for senior officials and VVIPs only.

According to the Railways spokesperson, the Karachi–Rawalpindi salon fare has been reduced from Rs500,000 to Rs172,000. Similarly, the Karachi–Lahore fare has dropped from Rs420,000 to Rs150,000.

The Lahore–Rawalpindi salon fare has also been revised, falling from Rs105,000 to Rs44,000.

Officials said bookings can now be made not just at headquarters but also through divisional offices. For booking through headquarters, passengers may contact the office of the Chief Commercial Manager.

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The government had earlier announced in May that luxury salons would be opened for public use. These five VIP salons were previously used by the Prime Minister, Railway Minister, Chairman Railways, executive officers and the Inspector General Railways.

The spokesperson added that these salons offer high-quality seats, a comfortable environment, air-conditioning, modern facilities and complete privacy. Designed originally for VVIP and top officials, they are now accessible to ordinary citizens as well.

Railway officials said the purpose of the fare cut is to provide better travel facilities to the public while also generating revenue from underutilised assets.

Experts believe the dramatic fare cut shows Railways is under pressure to improve revenue and public trust. They say opening VVIP salons to ordinary passengers is a smart move because unused luxury coaches only create losses.

According to analysts, lower fares may attract new customers who never considered salon travel before. They also note that Railways is trying to rebuild its image by offering better service without raising regular ticket prices.