LAHORE, Jan 10: The federal cabinet has approved the PC-I of a five-year plan (2001-2006) for the rehabilitation and improvement of railway track.

Sources said the plan had been submitted to the National Security Council and the federal cabinet back in December 1999. According to the PC-I, the project will cost Rs11,192 million, including a foreign exchange component of Rs4,485 million.

The programme is a part of the railways rehabilitation scheme under which it is also purchasing new diesel locomotives and coaches.

Overage track and sleepers on 350-kilometres Landhi-Rohri main line will be replaced. Track maintenance machinery, including tamping machines, track recording coaches and ballast cleaners will be imported for the purpose.

The railway authorities have improved at least 5,993-km track and 7,717 track kilometre sleepers between 1955 and 2001. Financial constraints, however, led to a lag that in June 2001 amounted to 5,042-km of track and 4,907 kilometres of sleepers.

Meanwhile, the Management Information System director assumed charge of his office on Thursday. The department was established last year to computerize various functions of the railways.