ISLAMABAD, March 18: The government has asked the Pakistan Railways to urgently procure four (2000 HP) diesel electric locomotives and 24 passenger coaches to facilitate the proposed freight and passenger traffic to India through the Mirpurkhas-Khokhrapar section. Official sources told Dawn that Rs3.1 billion was being made available to the Railway authorities to also rehabilitate the old and deteriorating tracks so that early resumption of rail service between India and Pakistan could be ensured. The service on this section stands suspended since 1965. Given that Pakistan has agreed to open the Khokhrapar border for freight and passenger traffic to India, the authorities have decided to greatly improve the railway infrastructure. The proposed upgradation and forming of direct link with India has become more important in view of the proposed links between Chaman and Kandahar which will subsequently provide access to Central Asia. The existing Meter Gauge track on the Mirpurkhas-Khokhrapar section is in extremely bad shape and hardly fit for running a train at a speed of 20 Kmh. Pakistan has only nine steam locomotives of Meter Gauge which are 87 years old and are not in good condition. The rolling stock has also outlived its utility, the sources said.

The upgrade of infrastructure is designed to cater for the expected growth of freight and passenger traffic between the two countries.

During the recent visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to India, it was decided to reopen the route to facilitate the citizens of both countries to visit their divided families and increase trade.

The existing track from Mirpurkhas to Khokhrapar is 125km in length. It is an earth-packed meter gauge section which at present is under speed restrictions of between 15 Kmh to 25 Kmh due to high percentage of US sleepers.

Only one train connects Mirpurkhas to Khokhrapar which takes six hours and 50 minutes to do so. Moreover, the train terminates at Khokhrapar section which is 10km from the Indian border.

“This section needs to be rehabilitated or, alternatively, a bus service will be required for ferrying passengers from the last terminal of rail to the Indian border,” railway officials told the federal government.