Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said that mass transit train between Rawalpindi and Islamabad would not only provide easy communication link to the people of the twin city but also decrease pressure on the roads.
"The train service would start soon to provide better and cheaper travelling facilities to the commuters of twin city", the minister said while addressing the workers of Pakistan Railways at the launch of the first indigenously overhauled locomotive engine at Central Diesel Locomotive Workshop here on Tuesday.
Superintendent Railways Muhammad Hayat Malik, Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah, Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) Mian Ahsan Mahmood, Deputy CME Firdaus Khan and a large number of Railways workers were also present on the occasion. The minister said that about 10,000 residential quarters would be constructed for the Pakistan Railways employees across the country.
He said that increasing number of passengers was a proof that the people have confidence in the department. Appreciating the performance of the workers he said that the department earned Rs 2 billion profit in the current financial year only by virtue of hard work of Railways employees. He said that the Railways' employees would be sent abroad for advanced training to improve their technical skills which help modernise Railways to meet world standards.
"The entire Railways network would be altered with the most modern system. Double track would be laid from Peshawar to Karachi in different phases. On the occasion the minister said, "Railways would also purchase wagons and in this connection negotiations with many countries are underway." With 15 percent adhoc relief and up-gradation of pay scales have given relaxation to 90,000 Railways employees, which shown sympathetic approach of President Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz towards the government employees.