CPEC: Efforts on to run small trains inside Quetta, says Railways Minister

Islamabad: Minister for Railways Senator Azam Khan Swati has said that efforts were underway to run small trains inside Quetta to facilitate the common man as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Railways, he announced that Pakistan Railways will run trains for Quetta through outsourcing in which all railway operations except track and operation would be outsourced.

The meeting was informed that the Bolan Express would start from December 1 this year. Railways officials told the meeting that that 90 percent work had been completed in Harnai and Sibi sectors.

The Quetta to Chaman train was also running weekly and would also start Zahedan train from Quetta, whereas Akbar Bugti Express was suspended for 3 months, the Railways officials apprised the meeting.

It was shared that two new trains would be operational for Quetta after the arrival of new coaches.

In the committee meeting, the Railways officials said that the CPEC railway projects would be completed soon.

Senator Naseebullah Baazi on the occasion said that in 1998 Pakistan Railways used to run a night train from Quetta to Karachi which was now closed.

As per the directions of the committee, the steps taken for the rehabilitation of Khanpur track from Sukkur, the Railways officials said that PC-1 of the Pakistani Rs 30 billion worth project had been approved and work on it would start soon.

Regarding the steps taken to lay the railway track from Peshawar to Uzbekistan as per the instructions of the committee, the meeting was updated that the survey of this project was pending but this project was one of our top priorities.