December 03, 2006	Sunday	Ziqa'ad 11, 1427

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LAHORE, Dec 2: Twenty major railway stations will have only one entry point each where walkthrough gates will be installed, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said on Saturday.

The step is being taken to improve security without disturbing any visitor or passenger to these railway stations, the minister said at a press conference at the railways headquarters here.

He said a decision had also been taken to award a contract for dinning cars for three years instead of one-year to parties having hotels or restaurants to ensure quality food at reasonable prices to travellers.

Around 1.5 million people travelled in trains during the last six months and the number would exceed four million by the end of the current fiscal year, he said.

During the past six months, he said 12 more trains had been launched while another three non-stop express trains would run during the current month. He said Peshawar Express would run from Dec 5, Pakistan Express from Dec 16 while Jinnah Express would be running initially on alternate days from Dec 25.

Peshawar Express would take people from Peshawar to Rawalpindi for Rs85, all-economy-class Pakistan Express would charge Rs600 for travel from Rawalpindi to Karachi while the fare of Jinnah Express that would be a luxurious, VIP and all-airconditioned class train was being finalised, he said.

Six new diesel multiple unit rail cars, the minister said, were being imported that would be run as shuttle trains between Lahore and Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan, and Karachi and Hyderabad.

The minister said a consortium comprising companies from Spain and Austria had been awarded the contract to prepare feasibility of the bullet train to be run between Lahore and Rawalpindi.

He said the track from Shorkot to Khanewal would be rehabilitated by Dec 31 while work on the Hafizabad-Sangla Hills section had already been completed. Directions have been issued to improve the track on Mirpur Khas-Hyderabad section by Jan 31, he said.

Freight service on Khokhrapar-Monabao section can only start after the resumption of Thar Express, the minister said and added: “We can send our labourers for the rehabilitation of the track across the border if India desires so. We have spent Rs2 billion on the track that is lying unutilised for the past many months,” he said.

Of the 4,000 unmanned level crossings, some 200 will have proper gates and personnel, said Sheikh Rashid, who added a decision had also been taken to privatise railways Shaheenabad sleeper factory.

The minister said in spite of suspension of rail traffic for a considerable time because of Ran Pathani incident, the railways had achieved the revenue target. He said utilisation of freight wagons remained 2.6 per cent more than the corresponding period of previous year.

Some 500 freight wagons, declared unfit for use, have been handed over to Mughalpura Workshops for rehabilitation, he said. The workshops have already rehabilitated 100 passenger wagons that would constitute Pakistan Express, he said.

The refrigerator train would be manufactured at the railway carriage factory. “I have trust in the technical know-how of the people at the Mughalpura Workshops and the Risalpur Carriage Factory.

“For the first time, we are going to manufacture five locomotives at the Mughalpura Workshops. Sixty per cent components of the locomotives would be made locally while the remaining 40 per cent would be imported. We have got six of the 36 locomotives we were to import while 20 from China were expected to arrive soon,” he said.

Obsolete and outdated machinery at the Mughalpura Workshops would be replaced with the latest, modern gadgets and equipment, said Sheikh Rashid.

He said an incentive package for another five categories of operational staff, including station masters would be announced soon.

The problems of employees of all categories would be solved gradually, however, politics would not be allowed in the railways, the minister said before leaving to the Mughalpura Workshops where he inspected two rakes rehabilitated at the carriage shops.

The minister appreciated the hard work put in by 500 workers of the carriage shop to rehabilitate 100 or so coaches for Pakistan Express in the shortest possible time and announced Rs1,000 cash award for each of them.