LAHORE, Feb 18: Federal Minister for Railways and Communications LT-Gen Javed Ashraf Qazi (retired) was briefed here on Monday about the performance of the Railway Academy and the Railway Police here on Monday.

Railway Academy director Faheemud Din said 1,664 railway officials, including foreigners, were trained at the academy in 2001. He said the academy had enrolled 40 percent more trainees for the next session.

Shahid Hasan, the Railway Police inspector-general, told the minister that an officer of the rank of superintendent had been appointed as principal of the Police Training School to establish the department on modern lines.

Police officials, he said, were also being sent to Sihala and training institutes of the provincial police departments to improve their professional abilities.

The minister directed that the railway police staff should also be trained in disposal of explosives.

Earlier, the minister visited the Railway Carriage Shops where air-conditioned bogies were being renovated.