LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad says the process to hire 10,000 workers will soon be started.

“At least 10,000 skilled workers are required on an emergency basis to improve Pakistan Railways (PR) efficiency and Prime Minister Imran Khan granted approval for the purpose,” said the minister at a news conference at railways headquarters here on Saturday.

People seeking jobs in their native districts would be given preference over residents of other areas, he said while adding that all the recruitments would be on merit.

All employees, rehired on contract after retirement from service, would be sent home within a year and young people would be given a chance, he said while adding that a summary to regularise the service of workers, employed on a contract basis under the PM’s Package, would soon be sent for approval.

Main Line-I will be fenced; Walton Academy to be upgraded as university

Announcing that the vigilance cell in the railways has been wound up, the minister said the PR Walton Academy would be upgraded as a university for the provision of better training facilities to the railways workers.

Sheikh Rashid said rail fares would not be revised upward in spite of hike in POL products’ price.

“We are planning to make rail journey further safer and faster by erecting fence on both sides of Main Line 1— from Peshawar to Karachi. It will enable us to run trains at a speed of 160 kilometres per hour. Catering services in the Green Line Express have been restored while Karachi Express and Tezgam would soon have same facility,” said Sheikh Rashid.

The prime minister would inaugurate Hyderabad Express on Nov 15 while the route of the train, running between Lahore and Faisalabad at present, would be extended up to Multan.

To another question, Rashid said the prime minister’s visit to China had been more successful than expected. “The Chinese hinted at gifting us primary feasibility to upgrade Main Line 2 and 3 during the forthcoming visit of China railways deputy minister,” he said.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2018