MIRPURKHAS, Sept 6: Plan to replace the meter gauge railway track with broad gauge between Khokhropar and Mirpurkhas will be completed by December 2005.

About 60 per cent material has been transported to different areas for the purpose.

This was stated by Shakeel Ahmed Durrani, chairman, Pakistan Railways, at a briefing held here recently.

The chairman and the general-manager of the Pakistan Railways, Abdul Wahab Awan, divisional superintendent, Junaid Qureshi and other officials arrived at the Mirpurkhas railway station on Friday morning through a special train and examined ongoing work of replacing meter gauge railway track with broad gauge.

Talking to newsmen, additional general manager, railways, Imtiazul Haq said the chairman had expressed his satisfaction on pace of ongoing work and directed to speed up work and according to the programme the plan would be completed by December 2005.

He said 33 kilometres meter gauge track of 135 kilometres between Mirpurkhas and Khokhropar had been changed into broad gauge.

He said day and night work to complete rehabilitation of six railway stations and construction of 80 small and big bridges was continuing from Mirpurkhas to Khokhropar.

He said after completion of the project at least two-trains with speed of 95 kilometres would run daily from Karachi to Khokhropar in initial phase.

He said one billion rupees would be spent on the project.