LAHORE, Pakistan: The Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique on Saturday said restoration, improvement and modernization work in every department of the Pakistan Railways was under way.
While addressing a meeting at the Railway headquarters in Lahore, he said besides beautification, restoration and rebuilding of the railway stations, the administrative matters of Pakistan Railways were also being improved and rectified by restructuring of the human resource section.
The minister said restoration work on Sibi-Harnai railway track was in progress, adding that the track with eight railway stations was laid in 1884 and 133-km part of the track was being reconstructed.
The railways minister informed the meeting that five large and three small bridges had been destroyed between Sibi and Khost about 10 years ago, due to which all types of passenger and freight operations had been shut down.
Saad Rafique said restoration of peace in the Country would play a vital role in development of the infrastructure.
The minister said Rawalpindi-Kohat railcar was also being relaunched and development work on the track and railway station was under way.
Saad said the railway stations including Karachi City, Karachi Cantt, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal, Okara, Raiwind, Lahore, Nankana Sahib, Narowal, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Hassan Abdal and Peshawar were being rebuilt in the first phase, whereas PC-1 of upgradation of more 31 railway stations had also been finalised. He said Okara railway station was now in the beautification phase after reconstruction and it would soon be inaugurated.
Besides, he added, upgradation of Golra Sharif Railway Museum, cultural aspect of the area was also kept in view in the reconstruction of the railway station buildings.
Source: APP/DND
