PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday decided to lay a 192km railway track from Kohat district to Kurram district’s Kharlachi area, a border trade point, to launch a rail service.

The decision was made during a meeting in the federal capital amid the prolonged closure of all Pak-Afghan border crossings for trade over clashes between Pakistani and Taliban forces.

The participants included Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and senior Pakistan Railways officials, according to an official statement from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

They reviewed the proposed rail connectivity projects and the plans to introduce modern trains across the province.

The officials said that a 192km railway track would be laid from Kohat to Kharlachi in two years at the cost of $642 million.

The participants discussed the proposal to lay more railway tracks and agreed on better cooperation and coordination between the provincial government and Pakistan Railways.

Officials said that the feasibility study of the Kohat-Kharlachi railway project had been completed, while the process to acquire land for it was in progress.

The chief minister insisted that the proposed Kohat-Kharlachi rail service was a pressing requirement.

He said that not only would the project improve rail service in the province but it would also help promote trade and economic activity in the region.

The meeting also held a detailed discussion on the proposal of launching a safari train service on the 32km Jamrud-Landi Kotal railway track to promote tourism in the region, according to the official statement.

It added that the chief minister directed authorities to prepare comprehensive plans with clear timelines for all railway projects and take concrete steps for extending train service to other major cities of the province.

He emphasised the need for close coordination between the provincial government and Pakistan Railways and said that the provincial government was committed to providing all-out support for initiatives aimed at improving public transport and citizen facilitation.

The participants also discussed the rehabilitation of historic railway stations in the province, improvement of cleanliness, renovation and beautification of stations and the development of green belts along railway tracks.

Adviser to the chief minister on finance Muzzammil Aslam, chief secretary Shahab Ali Shah, additional chief secretary (planning and development) Ikramullah, the Pakistan Railways secretary, and senior officials of the transport department also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2025