PR looking to rebuild

Pakistan Railways forms several teams to survey the buildings of train stations across the country.

GUJRANWALA: Pakistan Railways has formed several teams to survey the buildings of train stations across the country.

According to Railway chairman Raja Shahid Hussain, several teams have already been formed to survey the buildings of train stations in Punjab, “These teams will collect details about necessary repairs including repairs needed for the buildings and for the trains themselves. There are separate teams of structural engineers and mechanics who will help with the survey,” Hussain said.

The designated teams will work under the general manager operations Ashfaq Khattak and present a report about the restoration of train stations within this year so that funds can be allocated for this purpose. The chairman said that a strategy would be developed to give railway stations that had been closed down due to their being in disrepair on lease.

“The administration has also decided to install fences between the railway lines at large and provide junctions between major railway stations,” Khattak said, adding that a feasibility report would be sent to the chairman in this regard.

Meanwhile, in Gujjar Khan two cuts each of 70 feet have been artificially created in a railway track to release 40,000 cusecs of Manchhar Lake flood water into Indus River on a daily basis. Railway officials in the area said that the floods had caused irreparable damage to several railway tracks in Southern Punjab, adding that many of the trains had stopped plying the tracks.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2010.