LAHORE (The Thursday Times) — Federal Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi said on Sunday that the flood-damaged Lahore-Faisalabad railway section has been restored in 45 days, ahead of the 60 days originally allowed for the work.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the restoration, Abbasi said about 1,500 feet of track between the two cities was washed away by floods on July 27. Consultants had to be appointed, a feasibility report prepared, and funds arranged before restoration work formally began on September 23, he said, and a private company worked with Pakistan Railways to finish it early. Earlier in the day he inaugurated the rebuilt Missan Kalar railway bridge and the restored track beyond it, according to state radio.
He thanked railway workers, calling labourers the real heroes of the project, and announced cash rewards for everyone involved. The minister said the reopened section would allow the Shalimar, Karakoram, Badr, Ghouri, and Ravi Express services to resume, along with goods train 503.
Locomotives and workshops
Abbasi said the department is running an average of nine trains a day and has asked for a plan to raise that to 14. He said 43 GEU-43 locomotives have been working with only two or three traction motors instead of the required six, which limits the load they can haul, and that all 43 would be fully equipped by December 15.
The minister said the CDL Workshop had been shut for 15 years and that the government had decided to restart local manufacture of essential railway parts to cut imports. He said production of safety brackets and other components had already begun, and that inquiries were under way into poor maintenance of locomotives and wagons, shortages of spare parts, and the deliberate closure of workshops. He also said there would be zero tolerance for corruption in the department.
Next projects
Abbasi said tendering to upgrade the Rohri-Karachi track is under way, with agreements expected in December or January. He said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a consortium of local banks to arrange financing for the 449-kilometre Rohri-Multan line, and that the 150-year-old Rohri Junction will be inaugurated on January 15 after its upgrade.
He also said national interests must take precedence over political and personal considerations, and that Pakistan’s stability and security should never be compromised. On Saturday the minister said Pakistan Railways had earned more than Rs100 billion in revenue for the first time and is aiming for Rs160 billion this fiscal year.
