Three Eid special trains to be run from June 2: Rashid

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Saturday said the Pakistan Railways would run three Eid special trains from June 2 to facilitate passengers.

Addressing a press conference at PR Headquarters, he said if more trains would be arranged then five Eid special trains would be run to facilitate passengers. He added that passengers who would travel on Eid day their fare would be half.

He said "The decision has been made to give the task of maintenance work of track between Tando Adam to Khanpur to the Railway Constructions Pakistan Limited (RAILCOP)."

The minister said Sir Syed Express train would soon be inaugurated, adding that required target would be achieved in freight area.

Responding to a question, Sheikh Rashid said those who plundered the country's wealth were targeting the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

He said due to lack of health facilities, AIDS had become severe in Larkana and demanded resignation from the Sindh health minister.

The railway minister said people were deceived in  Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project and it was the need of the hour to approach the International Monetary

Fund (IMF).

To another query, he said price hike, unemployment and other problems were because of the previous rulers.

He said the Sindh government was criticizing him without any reason, adding that 34km track of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) had been cleared while remaining 10Km would also be got cleared in 15 days. He said on October 18, 2017, the Sindh government got approved Rs 207 billion for the KCR from the Economic Council. He said if the Sindh government made an agreement on Rs 207 billion with him, he would

announce to start work on the KCR from tomorrow.

Speaking on locomotives, the minister said: "We have given notice to American General Electric Locomotive Company to fix their locomotives till May 30 and make these locomotives as per our standard."

He said 20 locomotives purchased during the tenure of the previous government were not in order.

The minister said private companies had been invited to invest in railway lines and added that new induction of employees in railways would be made purely on merit.