PR rehabilitates around 789 km track across country

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has rehabilitated around 789.34 kilometer track by removing temporary speed restrictions and increasing speeds for ensuring sustainable train operation across the country.

“The rehabilitation work was carried on its 14 different routes in the four provinces, under various Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects,” an official in the Ministry of Railway told APP here Thursday.

Giving provinces wise detail of the rehabilitated track, he said 397.05 km track rehabilitated in Punjab, 215.60 km in Sindh, 23.69 km in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and 153.00 km in Balochistan.

“The routes included Karachi-Hyderabad, Kotri-Dadu, Dera Murad Jamali-Sibi, Khanpur-Multan, Lodhran-Pakpattan, Faisalabad-Sheikhupura, Multan-Lahore, Lahore-Lalamusa, Peshawar-Attock City, Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Multan-Kot Addu, Kot Addu-Mianwali, Sibi-Khost and Hyderabad-Rohri- Khanpur,” he added.

To a question, he said that restoration of 134 km long track and other allied works on Sibi-Khost line was nearing completion. He said that Quetta-Taftan section is part of ML-III and feasibility study for its up-gradation at a speed of 160/120 KMH is under process which will be completed soon.

“This section has been earmarked for upgradation under public and private partnership on build–operate–transfer (BOT) basis as well,” the official added.