THIS is apropos of Azka Junaid’s letter ‘Railways in tatters’, which advocates forthwith cutting down the railway workforce by half or reduction in salaries of each and every employee by 50 per cent (Dec 28).

The latter proposal does not seem feasible, though reduction of incapable workforce could be considered in order to cut the overhead expenditure and make Pakistan Railways viable.

The retrenched workforce may be given a golden handshake or unemployment allowance which will be less damaging than their retention and allocation of tons of money as bailout package.

In 1954, during the period of Sir Khwaja Nazimuddin and Mohammad Ali Bogra, the broad gauge railway line was extended from Nowshera to Mardan and Charsadda.

Later in 1956 during the period of Chaudhry Mohamad Ali and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardi the metre gauge (MG) section, Jacobabad-Kashmore, was converted into broad gauge.

Between 1969 and 1973, during the period of Mohammad Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan, broad gauge line Kot Adu-Kashmore was constructed providing an alternative route from Karachi seaport to northern Pakistan.

The metre guage railway from Hyderabad to Khokhrapar was converted to broad gauge in two stages: Hyderabad to Mirpurkhas (66.07 km) in 1967 and Mirpurkhas to Khokropar (zero point) in 2006 (133km).

Then the decline started and barely 40 years down the line it still continues today. We successfully closed the greatest adventure, narrow gauge Zhob Valley Railway as well as Kohat-Thal, Mari Indus-Bannu, Lakki Marwat-Tank and Kohat-Thal section. The total length of 611km has been uprooted and the area now is connected through a network of roads.

India did much better with her narrow guage showpieces in Simla and Darjeeling.

Also closed were 626 km of broad gauge, including Mandra-Bhaun, Khanpur-Chachran, Tando Adam-Tharushah, Nawabshah-Sakrand, Padidan-Tharushah-Mehrabpur, Keora-Dandoot, Bahawalnagar-Fort Abbas, Narowal-Chak Amru, Pind Dadan Khan-Khushab and Miani-Bhaira.

Metre gauge sections of Mirpurkhas-Nawabshah and Sibi-Khost measuring 261km have also been closed.

India is manufacturing diesel electric locomotives and spares for domestic use as well as exporting them to various countries, including Germany. Its railways is growing and earning a reasonable profit.

Why can’t we, having all the infrastructure, not emulate our next-door neighbour?

SYED AHMED Canada