LAHORE, Jan 16: Another air-conditioned fast train service between Rawalpindi and Karachi will start from March 23, which will be named after the Pakistan Movement. Federal Railways Minister Shaikh Rashid said this while talking to reporters after addressing a meeting held to pay tribute to the Pakistan Movement leaders here on Tuesday.

He said experience had proved that the people preferred comfortable rail traffic, however, more they had to pay for that.

He said a daily freight train would also start with the help of the private sector for which negotiations with about two dozen business companies were in progress. He said the government was prepared to invite the private sector to run the trains on certain railway tracks. Overseas Pakistani investors would also be encouraged to do the job, he added.

He said a greater attention would be paid to observe punctuality and maintain regular train timings to avoid delays. He said he would inaugurate the new rail bridge built at Run Patahani near Karachi as the old one had been washed away by the last year’s torrential rains.

Under the Constitution provincial assembly elections could be held before the National Assembly polls, but he was not sure whether these would be held before the federal legislature.