PM to inaugurate Sir Syed Express on 30th: Rashid

Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate an Express Train service between Rawalpindi and Karachi on June 30. Talking to media here at Rawalpindi Railway station, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Thursday said the Sir Syed Express woulld travel through Faisalabad "I have started 30 new trains during my present tenure as the railway minister," he said adding, the one year performance report of Pakistan Railways (PR) would be presented to the public on August 24.
Sheikh Rashid said the railways tracks in the country had become old and on completion of the Main Line -1(ML-1) Project, a new track would be laid from Peshawar to Karachi to modernise and dualise the track for running the train safely and fast. Replying to a question, he said the 43 km track assigned to Karachi Circular Railway would be revived.
The minister said the PR might issue railway bonds to overcome its financial crises, as the finance division had cut its budget from Rs 40 to 50 billion to Rs 16 billion. He said dualisation and modernisation of main line track from Karachi to Peshawar and construction of Leh Expressway to check road traffic congestion in Rawalpindi were his life's ambitions.
He said the PR gave 50% discount on Eid Special Trains despite facing revenue deficit.
He said strict action was being taken against ticketless travellers and pledged that corruption in railway would not be tolerated at any level.
He said a system was being evolved to increase the revenue of Pakistan Railways from its own resources.
Sheikh Rashid said the entire nation was standing with Pakistan Army and India would be given a befitting response in case of any aggression.
He said a meeting was scheduled with the Punjab chief minister on June 8, and "I will hopefully get an approval for setting up a women university and two new colleges in Rawalpindi."
Answering a question about the inflationary trend, he said the previous rulers including Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari had ruined the country's economy. The PTI government was taking historical steps to bring the country out of the prevailing crises it had inherited.
He expressed the hope that the country's economy would soon be back on track.
Later, the minister distributed sweets among the railway passengers from his own pocket.