Federal Minister for Railways Hail Ghulam Ahmad Bilour Monday informed the National Assembly that Pakistan Railways has two proposals under consideration for Railway links with Afghanistan at Chaman-Spinbuldak border to connect Kandahar and Pak-China rail link from Havelian to Chinese border via Khunjrab Pass.
Bilour told the house in response to a question raised by MNAs including Fauzia Wahab, Muhammad Asad Khan, Yasmeen Rehman and Shereen Arshad Khan, that the PC-I for Chaman Spinbuldak (Afghanistan bordering town) rail link was completed with the cost of Rs 417 million in June 2004 and the project was to be executed by M/s Railcop, however, work could not be started due to non-issuance of NOC by Afghanistan government. The revised cost of PC-l is now assessed Rs 943.00 million, he added.
He said that the Pak-China Rail link pre-feasibility study has been completed through two consulting firms M/s L.L.F of German-Austria and M/s Don fang Electric Corporation (DEC) of China and following route has been recommended for detailed feasibility. Havelian-AbbotAbad - Batagram - Thakot-Bridge-Bèsham-Pattan -Dassu-Chillas - Gilgit-Karimabad - Sost-Mintaka Pass. The length of this route is 662 km and tentative cost is US $10.237 billion to be completed in 15 years, he informed.
He told the house the Line Tracking System (LTS) project will be completed during the current fiscal year with a cost of Rs 40 million. The project cost of the LTS will be provided by the Electronic Government Directorate (EDG) of the Ministry of Information Technology, the Minister informed the house while responding to a question raised by Fauzia Wahab, PPP MNA on Monday.
He said that with the completion of this project PR will be in a position to upgrade its manual train controlling system and turn to computerised form of monitoring. This will also help in making effective planning and plotting of the path of trains, besides increasing line capacity due to effective time management, he added. Bilour informed the house that completion of LTS will also help in tracking of all passenger and freight trains.
He said that it may not be correct to suggest that trains are running late at present. During October 2008 the punctuality of intercity trains averaged 89 percent and the mail/express trains 67 percent respectively. The punctuality of long lead express trains has seriously been affected due to the devastation caused in Karachi and Sukkur Divisions during post' 27th December 07 riots, he added.
He said that PR has closed down 20 stations on the main line on Karachi and Sukkur divisions due to severe damage caused during riots. As many as 35 locomotives and 139 passenger coaches burnt and damaged, besides the destruction of the telecommunication system over the two divisions. He also informed the house that efforts are being made to vacate the encroachment and illegal occupation on Railway land.
He said that the jurisdiction of railway police has been' extended on all the Railway lands for the purpose of removal of encroachment and a vigorous campaign was launched after which more than 384.619 acres of land has been retrieved during the year 2007-08. He informed the house that no Railway land 'sold out 'during the year 2007-08. However, the location-wise detail of total land of Pakistan Railways given on lease during the year 2007-08. Five Railway sites leased out by Marketing Directorate at different locations 'with-a total area of land '17823 sq. yds. along with the rates during the year 2007-08, he added.
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