Pakistan to spend Rs 40Bln on Railways Tracks
'By Shoaib Jabbar 'Pakistan Times' Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways will spend over Rs 40 billion by the end of 2010 on the dualization, upgradation and improvement of Railway track across the country.

Chairman Pakistan Railways Muhammad Shakeel Durrani told Radio Pakistan that Rs 15 billion would be used on the upgradation of Rohri-Quetta-Taftan section.

A sum of Rs 6 billion will be consumed on establishing a railway link connecting Kohat and Peshawar at the Right Bank of the River Indus.

Rawalpindi to Lalamusa Railway track will also be upgraded at a cost of Rs 3.5 billion while Rs 7 billion are being spent to dualize the Shahdra-Lalamula section.

Several projects worth billions of rupee are being finalised aimed at improving efficiency of Pakistan Railways and provide safe and brisk services to the people, he said.

After the completion of the projects, the express trains will be able to run at 160 km per hour while freight trains will reach Karachi from Lahore in 24 hours instead of 72 hours resulting in boosting import and exports.