MULTAN, Oct 15: The Shalimar Express between Multan and Karachi was launched here on Monday.

Railways’ Multan Divisional Superintendent Saeeduddin Khan performed the inauguration.

The 105-Up train will leave Multan at 8am daily and reach Karachi at 9.05pm the same day. The 106-Down will leave Karachi at 8.30am and reach Multan at 9.40 pm.

Talking to newsmen, Saeeduddin Khan said that Shalimar Express had been started with 10 coaches. Six more coaches could be added keeping in view the passengers’ turn out.

He said that investigations into the derailment of Thal Express near Muzaffargarh had been completed. It was found that breakage in ‘fish plate’ was the cause of the accident.

He said that owing to shortage of passengers the service of Musa Pak Express had to be suspended from Multan.

He said the marketing wing had been set up at Multan to fully utilize the commercial railway lands here and a deputy director has also been posted. “This arrangement was necessary to make railways a profitable service in Pakistan,” he said.

The Multan DS said that a deal to purchase some 68 railway engine was in the final stages. He hoped that the induction of new engines would help the railways reach in the time at their destinations.

The work to lay double railway track between Lahore and Lodhran sections would be started during the next fiscal year.

Surplus railways employees would be trained to fill the shortage of workforce in traffic control wing, he said.