President General Pervez Musharraf on Saturday called for fast development of 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 up 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 the museum of Pakistan Railways. The event was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, federal ministers, around 70 diplomats and senior officials.
The President commended the Minister for Railways, Rashid Ahmed, for his "dynamism" and improving the Pakistan Railways over the past few years. He, however, stressed that the pace of improvement needed to be further enhanced. "We have to catch up fast," he said, and directed the Railways officials to prepare for the challenges ahead.
He said that the current target of increasing the 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 Pakistan Railways, spoke of plans to link Chaman to Kandahar in Afghanistan, and to build an ambitious rail track from Havelian to the Khunjerab Pass to connect with the Chinese main line.
"The governments of both Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan have expressed the desire to join this rail link, as it will provide them an access to Gwadar port," he said.
The President said that 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 main line.
The President also called for moving on to the standard gauge and said that currently the metre and broad gage are being used that leads to import of expensive rolling stock and wagons that need to be converted. He also called for hastening the pace on provision of mass transport system for Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi/Islamabad and said that it could be later emulated in other major cities.
The President said that he sees a prosperous future for Pakistan Railways and assured the Minister for Railways full support in all his endeavours to improve its working, efficiency and providing better services to the people.He said that railways was a primary mode of travel in the past. However, the focus shifted to road and air transport owing to the neglect of the past governments. He hoped that trade, commercial and industrial activities would pick up with its improvement.
The President appreciated the initiative taken by 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 of acquiring additional land from CDA would 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. Rashid said that under President Musharraf's vision the rail track was being expanded and the speed of trains enhanced to 140 km per hour.
He said that 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. He said the travel time from Karachi to Lahore would be cut from 18 hours to 12 hours and, after the straightening of bends from Sohawa to Dina, travel from Lahore to Rawalpindi would be shortened by one-and-a-half hours.
He said the Railways was in the process of preserving all its old bridges--most of which are over a century old--along with 20 of its steam locomotives and station buildings.
The minister invited the President to address the Railway workers, an offer that was accepted. The President inaugurated the museum, set up in a 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.