ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed on Thursday that foreign consultants would select a site for the proposed railway track to link Islamabad with Murree and Muzaffarabad.

The feasibility study of the project would be completed by March 2015.

The briefing was given by Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique during the cabinet meeting.

The minister said an independent company, Kashmir Railway, had been established on June 3, 2014. The consulting firms, ILF Pakistan and ILF Austria, have been selected for carrying out the feasibility study at a cost of Rs57.92 million.

One of the three proposed routes for the railway track starts from Margalla station in the capital which after passing through the Convention Centre, Bhara Kahu, Bastal, Kotal, Murree, Dewal, Shahdara, Kohala Bridge, Kalas and Dolia would reach Muzaffarabad. The minister said the length of the proposed route was 107 kilometres.

It may be mentioned that Rs2 billion have been allocated as a seed amount for the project which was approved by the prime minister in May 2014. Tenders for the feasibility study were floated on July 21.

The rail track is expected to pass through 50 bridges over streams and lakes. The government expects that about five million people will annually benefit from the project.

According to the request for proposal (RFP) for the feasibility study, the distance from Islamabad to Murree is about 60km and from Murree to Muzaffarabad 47km. The Pakistan Railway network exists up to Margalla station which is about seven kilometres from the Noor station on the Rawalpindi–Peshawar section. The consultants have been asked to also study the possibility of linking Islamabad with Murree through Margalla station at H-9 Sector via 9th Avenue, Kashmir Highway, Aabpara, Convention Centre and Bhara Kahu.

Another option is to start the rail link from Rawat and connect it with Kashmir Highway after passing along Islamabad Highway. Besides, the government also wants the consultants to suggest whether the track should go along the old Kashmir road up to Murree passing through Chattar Park, Salgran, Tret, Ghora Gali, Kuldana and Jheeka Gali or along Islamabad-Murree Expressway through Phulgaran etc. The consultants can also provide any other option if they feel the two routes are not feasible.

“The consultants will ensure that the proposed alignment has suitable linkage with the new metro bus track being built in Rawalpindi/Islamabad. The main terminal for Islamabad shall be at Aabpara,” said the RFP.

“For Murree-Muzaffarabad link, the alignment will be along River Jhelum and two other routes will also be considered, one running via Bhurban,” it added.

Published in Dawn, November 7th, 2014