March 16, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 7, 1429

ISLAMABAD, March 15: Caretaker Minister for Railways Mansoor Tariq said on Saturday that old and worn-out rails and an age-old signalling system were responsible for an abnormal increase in train accidents across the country.

“Most of the rails have outlived their utility because they have not been replaced for the last eight years, resulting in an increase in the number of accidents. Keeping the sensitivity of the issue, special efforts have been made to procure new rails by June, ” the minister told newsmen.

He said that tenders for the rehabilitation of tracks had been floated and contracts would soon be awarded.

In reply to a question about the delay, he said that Railways officials were to be blamed for it. He said some agreements had been signed years ago, but they had not been implemented, saying he had activated all such agreements.