KARACHI: Federal Minister for Aviation and Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has said that the Federal and Sindh governments were on the same page with regard to the project of Karachi Circular Railways (KCR).
He said this while talking to media persons in the divisional superintendent office at the city station here on Thursday.
He said that the matters regarding KCR project and installation of 134 kilometres new train tracks for Thar coal will be discussed with the Sindh government in a meeting on June 24. We intend to work on the development of track for Thar coal on priority, he added.
The Federal Railways Minister said that the encroachers on the KCR track should not have been removed by force, instead, they should be given compensation.
He said that the expertise to develop roads and highways were available in the country but there was a lack in terms of development of train tracks along with necessary facilities.
To a question, he said that the land of railways had been digitized and now the land owned by the Pakistan Railways could be identified easily.
Saad Rafique said that operating railways as a profitable service throughout the world was a tough task as it was also like a public transport.
He categorically stated that all out efforts would be made to bring the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) back on track.
To another question, he said that they have only limited time of around 12 months and during this short period they would strive hard to set the right direction for Pakistan Railways.
The minister claimed that the policy to convert the economy class into air-tight air-conditioned class would also be pursued.
Answering to a question about the condition of Rohri railway station, he termed it a very important location and said that the station would be developed on priority basis. Later, another station will also be developed in the interior Sindh, and then development of stations in Karachi would be planned, he added.
The railways minister said that no compromise would be made on provision of safe and healthy food and cleaning facilities in the trains.
He told the media persons that curtains would be hanged in the economy class and liquid soap would be provided in the toilets.