20% of Kolpur bridge work completed

LAHORE:

Reconstruction of the Quetta Kolpur railway bridge is progressing rapidly, with 20% of the bridge and railway track restoration already completed. The bridge and track laying are expected to be finished by early next month.

According to Pakistan Railways sources, train operations will be restored as soon as the work is completed, pending security clearance.

On August 26, terrorists carried out coordinated attacks on civilians and government properties in various districts of Balochistan. Among the damaged infrastructure was a British-era bridge located between the Kolpur and Dozan railway stations in Bolan.

The destruction of the railway bridge severed train connections between Quetta and other cities in Balochistan, as well as Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The destroyed bridge near Dozan was over 100 years old.

As reported in The Express Tribune on August 29, the suspension of the Jaffar Express train service is expected to result in daily losses of approximately Rs1 million, while the disruption of the Bolan Mail could lead to monthly losses of Rs10 million to the PR.

If both train services remain suspended for a month, the total loss could exceed Rs40 million.

Earlier sources estimated that the bridge reconstruction would take at least 45 days. In the meantime, Pakistan Railways arranged for buses to transport passengers between Machh and Quetta. Extra security was also sought from the Frontier Corps.