Federal Minister for Railways Ghaus Bukhsh Mehar has said that Khanewal-Lodhran track will be doubled by December 2005 instead of June 2006, and afterwards work on Khanewal-Lahore and onwards track would be started.
He was speaking while presiding over a high-ranking meeting here on Saturday which discussed doubling of railway track and its overall situation. Chairman Railways Khurshid Ahmad Khan, General Manager Aurangzeb Khan and other officers attended the meeting.
The minister said that Railways needed Rs 500,000 to Rs 600,000 per kilometer per annum for looking after the railway tracks but the past governments neglected this aspect which resulted in deterioration of engines, wagons and coaches.
He, however, was appreciative of the Musharraf regime for giving attention to this sector and said that railway requirements should be met to make it a profitable organisation.
CHINESE COACHES: Regarding uplift works, he said that Chinese coaches have started arriving in Pakistan in CKD form, and are being assembled in Islamabad Carriage Factory, of which three coaches have been put in service.
The first consignment of goods wagons would be reaching next month, he added.
Speaking about future plans, Ghaus Bukhsh Mehar said that practical shape was being given to the project for laying of railway track up to Kandahar (Afghanistan), and after that, track would be laid from Kandahar to Turkmenistan.