LAHORE, Nov 15: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi has said work on the light transit rail project will begin next year while the ring road will be completed in 2007. After inaugurating the cargo express train at the Lahore Cantt Railway Station on Tuesday, the chief minister told newsmen that feasibility of the light transit rail project was being prepared.

The construction of the ring road, he added, was in full swing and any ambiguity regarding its route would be removed.

Earlier, speaking at the launching ceremony of the new train, the chief minister expressed satisfaction that the reforms process initiated by the present government during the last four years had started bearing fruit in many state-run departments like the Pakistan Railways.

The industrial field was making rapid progress in the country, he said and added, an investment of approximately $1 billion had been made in the cement industry in Chakwal only.

The present government, he said, had brought about a gradual improvement to the railways functioning as a result of which the organization had not only been saved from being privatized but converted into a profit-generating entity. “The measures are also restoring the confidence of the masses and the business community on the railways,” he believed.

Pervaiz Elahi was optimistic the newly-introduced cargo train would play an important role in the promotion of business and trade activity in the country.

Minister for Railways Mian Shamim Haider said on the occasion the most of the track, rake and locomotives were overage. Some 1,300 new wagons were being procured and tender for another 1,000 would be called soon.

“We have to replace some 20,000 wagons,” he said and added the railways cargo service would improve within the next six months.

Work on dualization of track on the Karachi-Lodhran and Lodhran-Khanewal sections would be completed by the end of June next year while on the Khanewal-Raiwind section would be completed within the next 18 months.

He expressed the hope that the cargo express train would facilitate not only to the traders’ community but would also add to the railways revenue.

The Chinese rake of the second freight train, he said, would play a significant role in transporting goods from one place to the other in the shortest possible time.

Mr Haider said the third freight express train on the Karachi-Faisalabad section would be inaugurated within the next six weeks.

General Manager (Operations) Saleemur Rahman Akhoond said work on railways major development projects were either completed or near completion.

He specifically mentioned the Khokhrapar-Monabao rail link upgradation plan, Shershah-Khanewal section upgradation project, induction of high capacity wagons into the railways fleet and reduction in the turn-around time of the trains.

Railways Board Chairman Shakil Durrani, Railways police IG Jahangir Mirza and other senior officers also attended the ceremony.