Musharraf for Fast Development of Railways; Plan for 300 kph Trains     
By Aziz Malik ‘Pakistan Times’ Federal Bureau Chief

ISLAMABAD: President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday called for fast development of the Pakistan Railways on modern lines to provide economical travel to the people, swift movement of goods and to create linkages with neighbouring countries.

“We need to be ready for the future and plan for trains that can travel to 300 km an hour and divert road and air travellers to use this efficient mode of travel,” he told a gathering here at the Golra Railway Station after inaugurating museum of Pakistan Railways.

The event was attended by Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, federal ministers, around 70 diplomats and senior officials.

The President commended the Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed for his “dynamism” and improving the Pakistan Railways over the past few years.

He however, stressed that the pace of improvement need to be further enhanced. “We have to catchup fast,” he said and directed the Railway authority to prepare for the challenges ahead.

He said the current target of increasing speed of trains up to 140 km/hour was not enough. “Today the world is moving on to magnetic levitation trains and monorails for mass transport, we need to go for these,” he added.

The President referring to his vision for the Pakistan Railways spoke of plans to link Chamman to Kandahar in Afghanistan and to build an ambitious rail track from Havelian to the Khunjerab Pass to connect with the Chinese mainline.

“Both the governments of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have expressed desire to join this rail link as it will provide them an access to the Gwadar Port,” he said.

The President said new rail tracks were also being developed between Gwadar and Quetta, Peshawar and Zhob and Bostan and Zhob, besides the dualisation of the Karachi-Peshawar mainline.

The President also called for moving on to the standard gage and said currently the meter and broad gage were being used that led to import of expensive Rolling Stock and Wagons that need to be converted.

President Pervez Musharraf also called for hastening the pace on provision of mass transport system for Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad and said it could be later emulated in other major cities.

President General Pervez Musharraf said he saw a prosperous future of the Pakistan Railways and assured the Minister for Railways in all his endeavours in improving its working, efficiency and providing better services to the people.

He said railways was the primary mode of travel in the past, however the focus shifted to road and air owing to the neglect of the past governments. He hoped that trade, commercial and industrial activities will pick up with the improvement.

The President appreciated the initiative taken by the Pakistan Railways in preserving its heritage and historical buildings scattered across the country and for setting up the museum.

He called for collecting more artifacts and expanding the museum, besides preserving the old structures, bridges and equipment.

He said the matter for acquiring additional land from CDA will also be taken up for a recreational park for the people along the Golra Railway Station.

“Also do not cut these beautiful, old shady trees ... they add character to these old buildings,” the President said while remarking about the trees, growing along the platform and under which the event was organised.

Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said under the President’s vision the rail track was being expanded and the speed of trains enhanced to 140 km per hour.

He said the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO) was working on some sections for the dualisation of the main rail track and plans to complete the task in one year at a cost of Rs 5.3 billion.

Rashid said the travel time from Karachi to Lahore will be cut down from 18 to 12 hours, while after the straightening of bends from Sohawa to Dina travel from Lahore to Rawalpindi will be shortened by one and a half hour.

He said the Railways was in the process of preserving all its old bridges, most of which are centuries old, besides 20 of its steam locomotives and station buildings.

The minister invited the President to address the Railway workers, an offer that was accepted by him.

The President inaugurated the museum, set up in an victorian era building and had on display various tools, gauges and equipment used in construction of railroads and the old locomotives.

He was shown the mechanical signalling and communication system, first aid boxes, crockery and uniform of the pre-partition railway workers. Dozens of historic photographs, maps and documents adorned the walls.

President Musharraf was also informed about the Steam Safari from Golra Station to Attock Khurd over the Indus river. The safari leads up to the 122 year old Attock Khurd bridge that has been recently renovated.

The President later spent quite some time with the diplomats and ministers at the re-launched Dining Car, where he exchanged pleasantries and had snacks.●