ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (APP):Pakistan Railways has planned to dualize the Railway track between Lahore to Peshawar via Rawalpindi under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in next five years.
An official of Ministry of Railways told APP that the Main Line-1 (ML-I) from Karachi to Peshawar via Lahore would be upgraded under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which includes up-gradation of the entire railway line.
However, around 789 kilometer track has been rehabilitated/partially through complete track renewal, sleeper renewal and rail renewal under different Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) projects, he said that Pakistan Railways has rehabilitated the tracks 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,” he added.
Giving provinces wise detail of the rehabilitated track, he said 397.05 km track has already been 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 up-gradation under public and private partnership on build–operate–transfer (BOT) basis as well,” the official added.
