Feasibility study of laying tracks finalised, NA body told

Official informs standing committee $6 billion is total cost of Besima-Quetta, Jacobabad project

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Railways was informed on Monday that feasibility study and documentation of laying the Besima-Quetta and Besima-Jacobabad tracks, establishing a connection with Gwadar deep seaport under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), had been finalised and submitted to the Planning Commission for approval.

"The project’s cost is about $6 billion to lay about 1,200km track, which will be completed in a period of five years," said an official while briefing the committee.

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The committee was also informed that Rs5 billion had been allocated to acquire land for the project.

"The land has been purchased to avoid any delay in execution of the project," he added.

The committee also approved Rs73 billion for ongoing projects of the Ministry of Railways under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2018-19.

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The official said that allocation had been made for 96 per cent ongoing projects.

He said the Pakistan Railways had managed to retrieve 52.77 acres land during the anti-encroachment campaign that began on July 1, 2016 and went on till June 30, 2017.

The railways board secretary informed the committee that in the next five years, the locomotive fleet of Pakistan Railways would be enhanced from 150 to 300.

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He said that presently about 12 to 13 freight trains were operating daily, while in the past only one goods' train was operating.

He said that the total income of the railways was likely to touch Rs50 billion as compared to Rs12 billion in the past.

"The financial health of Pakistan Railways has improved significantly during the present government's tenure and it will hand over a better railways department to the next government" he said.