Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the dream of upgrading the Pakistan Railways has started to materialise.
He was addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony for the up-gradation of the Raiwind Railway Station on Saturday.
He said that the new railway station at Raiwind would facilitate the thousands who come to attend the congregation of the Tablighi Jammat.
The minister said that the Raiwind Railway station lies on the main railway route of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project and was being upgraded under the same, with 350 Chinese engineers are working on it. He added that better facilities would be ensured at Raiwind railway station including a reservation office.
Railways Chief Executive Officer Javed Anwar said on the occasion that the project would be completed by February 2018 at a cost of about Rs 135 million.
“After the completion of the ML-1 within five to six years, trains will run at the speed of 160 km/h, covering the Lahore-Karachi distance in almost 10 hours,” Rafique said.
Saad Rafique said that the condition of the Pakistan Railways was now far better than what it used to be in 2013. “Historic steps have been taken to modernise the railways and its systems. Pensioners of Pakistan Railways now get their pension through an online system,” he said.
Pakistan Railways has also launched an e-ticketing system, allowing passengers to book their seats from anywhere in the country. The minister said that the online system had been introduced for 48 trains, so far. “90% of the land record of Pakistan Railways has also been computerised,” he said.
The minister claimed that all out efforts are being made to make the country’s railways a profit oriented department and that loss was being reduced every year. He said that in 2013 losses amounted to Rs 32 billion, which had now been reduced to Rs 27 billion.
A railways office is being constructed in Gwadar and efforts are being made to buy land for railway tracks there as well, he claimed.
‘Railway stations are being constructed in Sibbi and Harnai. The Kohat railway station is also being improved and work for the betterment and promotion of railways is being carried out across the country,” Khwaja Saad Rafique said.
He said that new hopper waggons are being run for the fast transportation of coal to the Sahiwal coal power plant. “The recent railway accidents were mostly due to human error,” Rafique claimed.
The minister further said that with the passage of time the condition of all trains would improve and added that criticism was good but positive steps should also be appreciated.
