RAWALPINDI, Nov 2: Pakistan Railways will resume train service from Rawalpindi to Kohat on November 6, which has been suspended since September 2011 due to shortage of locomotives.

Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour will inaugurate the train service

The train service would utilise two engines to carry five coaches with a capacity of 400 passengers from Rawalpindi to Kohat. The train will depart for Kohat at 3:30pm daily and will return to Rawalpindi the next day.

The Pakistan Railways expects revenue generation through this route due to frequent traveling of passengers.

Furthermore, the cheaper fare of Rs170 instead of the Rs230 charged by buses would encourage travel by rail. The total time for the 176-km journey would be 3:30 hours.

After receiving funds from the federal government, the Pakistan Railways overhauled five diesel locomotives at the Central Diesel Locomotive Workshop in Rawalpindi in October.

Rawalpindi Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah said the Railways had resumed train services from Rawalpindi to Lahore, Rawalpindi to Multan, Kundian to Sargodha, Lala Musa to Sargodha and Malikwal to Pind Dadan Khan. He said the Kohat train would reduce the traffic congestion on the main Kohat road and facilitate the passengers.