The Kundian Railway junction is one of the country’s greatest junctions.
There are also workshops where some of Asia's largest engines are maintained.
It is an unfortunate thing the institution of the railways has been given a step-motherly treatment in our country, and it has been downgraded as a mode of transport unlike in the past when it used to be one of the most prestigious institutions of the country.
This downgrading of the railways has had a negative impact on the Kundian Railway junction as well. The image and functioning of junction as well as its adjoining workshop has been badly tarnished.
Although the city of Kundian is the second largest populated city in Mianwali, yet it has not been given the status of a tehsil.
Meanwhile, construction of a coal station in Kundian is in full swing.
It has been decided to import coal from Afghanistan to fuel the power plants replacing oil and diesel with the commodity due to rising prices of the former.
A large consignment of coal has started arriving from Afghanistan via Khushal Kot in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This consignment of coal would be ferried by freight trains to Yousafwala Plant in Sahiwal.
Dozens of trailers laden with coal are dumping coal in Kundian on a daily basis. Long queues of trailers are seen piled up from the railway gate to the CNG station. This is affecting the flow of traffic to Rawalpindi, DI Khan and other cities.
According to some railway sources, coal used to be imported from Africa, but the agreement with Africa was terminated and an agreement signed with Afghanistan, and freight trains laden with coal are arriving on a daily basis.
It is also learnt that in this regard, a railway station is also being constructed in Kundian by clearing and cleaning the railway lands with heavy machinery.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2022.
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