First phase of Railways upgrade under CPEC to begin next month

[Shahzaz ud din]

First phase of Railways upgrade under CPEC to begin next month
Aamir YasinUpdated March 02, 2018
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RAWALPINDI: The first phase of the $3.2 billion project to upgrade Pakistan Railways under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will begin next month, and will cut the duration of the Rawalpindi-Lahore journey by two hours.

A senior Railways official told Dawn that the total share for Pakistan Railways under CPEC is $8.2bn. The government has decided to begin the first phase, worth $3.2bn, to upgrade four sections of the rail track.

“These sections are Rawalpindi to Lahore, Kaluwal to Pindora, Lahore to Multan and Rohari to Nawab Shah. The sharp curves [on the 52 kilometre] Kaluwal to Pindora [track] will be improved to make it straight,” the official said.

Upgrade to cut duration of Rawalpindi-to-Lahore train journey by two hours

He added that the duration of the journey from Rawalpindi to Lahore will be reduced from hour hours and 30 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes, after the removal of sharp curves.

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He said the up-gradation of the track will increase the train’s speed from 90km per hour to 120km per hour.

The official said a dual track will be laid on these sections, and the signalling system will be improved as well.

He said the replacement of the outdated signalling system is already in progress from Lahore to Lalamusa, and the system from Lalamusa to Peshawar will be improved in the first phase of CPEC.

“The work will be completed within a year, and it will not disturb the existing track. Passenger and freight services on these sections will continue as per routine. The programme has been finalised under the project in this regard,” the official said.

He said Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways have completed feasibility studies and readied plans to launch the project. “Financial issues will be resolved in a few days and work will be started next month,” he said.

Another Railways official said that upgrading the rail track will also improve freight services in the region.

He said Railways had begun negotiations with the Rawalpindi and Islamabad chambers of commerce and industry to move goods between Rawalpindi and Islamabad through Railways.

The freight service between the twin cities will be launched in a week or two, he said, and would allow traders to send their goods on freight trains from Margalla Railway Station to the Rawalpindi and Chaklala railway stations.

When contacted, Divisional Commercial Officer Raza Ali Habib confirmed that the upgrading of the tracks from Rawalpindi to Lahore would increase train speeds and reduce the duration of the journey by two hours.

He added that Railways had begun work to improve freight services and would soon launch new services from traders and industrialists from the twin cities in this regard.

“We already replaced the kerosene oil lamps for the signalling system in the section and the overall work to improve the signalling system will be done under CPEC,” he said, adding that a new signalling system has been installed along the Kohat-Rawalpindi section, which launched a month ago.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018

 

[Maxpane]

Wow great news people like me will love travelling on train again

 

[ziaulislam]

Wow great news people like me will love travelling on train again

remeber we let go AB and WB fudning in the name of quick completion of this..so if it is not completed quick it will all be for not!

 

[Thəorətic Muslim]

so if it is not completed quick it will all be for not!

Government completing a project completely?

 

[khansaheeb]

That's great news but CPEC is not a complete project until the a rail link between China and Pakistan is built as the Korakaram highway is the bottleneck in the CPEC project.

 

[My-Analogous]

First phase of Railways upgrade under CPEC to begin next month
Aamir YasinUpdated March 02, 2018
Facebook Count29
Twitter Share

3
RAWALPINDI: The first phase of the $3.2 billion project to upgrade Pakistan Railways under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will begin next month, and will cut the duration of the Rawalpindi-Lahore journey by two hours.

A senior Railways official told Dawn that the total share for Pakistan Railways under CPEC is $8.2bn. The government has decided to begin the first phase, worth $3.2bn, to upgrade four sections of the rail track.

“These sections are Rawalpindi to Lahore, Kaluwal to Pindora, Lahore to Multan and Rohari to Nawab Shah. The sharp curves [on the 52 kilometre] Kaluwal to Pindora [track] will be improved to make it straight,” the official said.

Upgrade to cut duration of Rawalpindi-to-Lahore train journey by two hours

He added that the duration of the journey from Rawalpindi to Lahore will be reduced from hour hours and 30 minutes to two hours and 30 minutes, after the removal of sharp curves.

ADVERTISEMENT
He said the up-gradation of the track will increase the train’s speed from 90km per hour to 120km per hour.

The official said a dual track will be laid on these sections, and the signalling system will be improved as well.

He said the replacement of the outdated signalling system is already in progress from Lahore to Lalamusa, and the system from Lalamusa to Peshawar will be improved in the first phase of CPEC.

“The work will be completed within a year, and it will not disturb the existing track. Passenger and freight services on these sections will continue as per routine. The programme has been finalised under the project in this regard,” the official said.

He said Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways have completed feasibility studies and readied plans to launch the project. “Financial issues will be resolved in a few days and work will be started next month,” he said.

Another Railways official said that upgrading the rail track will also improve freight services in the region.

He said Railways had begun negotiations with the Rawalpindi and Islamabad chambers of commerce and industry to move goods between Rawalpindi and Islamabad through Railways.

The freight service between the twin cities will be launched in a week or two, he said, and would allow traders to send their goods on freight trains from Margalla Railway Station to the Rawalpindi and Chaklala railway stations.

When contacted, Divisional Commercial Officer Raza Ali Habib confirmed that the upgrading of the tracks from Rawalpindi to Lahore would increase train speeds and reduce the duration of the journey by two hours.

He added that Railways had begun work to improve freight services and would soon launch new services from traders and industrialists from the twin cities in this regard.

“We already replaced the kerosene oil lamps for the signalling system in the section and the overall work to improve the signalling system will be done under CPEC,” he said, adding that a new signalling system has been installed along the Kohat-Rawalpindi section, which launched a month ago.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018

What about Karachi Hyderabad and why every project first start in Punjab? How about Pindi and Peshawar? these planners have dirty minds and they never considers small province first. Their Pakistan start and finish in Punjab only. I strongly object this

 

[Cybernetics]

That's great news but CPEC is not a complete project until the a rail link between China and Pakistan is built as the Korakaram highway is the bottleneck in the CPEC project.

I agree that the Korakaram rail link is the crown to the transport project. The rail line had undergone surveying for many years.

Currently there are the constraints of funding and number of experienced personnel from China (it is aslo undergoing major infrastructure projects of its own in highland regions). The strategy is to make the new rail network usable as soon as possible at least certain sections of it first, thus starting with main/high utilization routes and easy to build routes is the fastest way for it to have economic benefits.

The tunnel is immensely difficult to build due to factors like flaky stone type, altitude, terrain and remoteness. It will take up considerable amounts of personnel, funding, and equipment, leaving little for other rail developments during its construction. High altitude requires multiple times the man-hours and personnel to build, in addition to a plethora of medical facilities and material logistics, as experienced in building tunnels in the highlands of Tibet, Yunnan, and Sichuan. If the Korakaram rail line is constructed first, Pakistan won't see economic benefits of such a big project for many years while starting in Punjab will allow the project to have economic benefits in a year. Be patient my friends.

"Let some people get rich first" - Deng Xiaoping (1992)

 

[Handshake]

What about Karachi Hyderabad and why every project first start in Punjab? How about Pindi and Peshawar? these planners have dirty minds and they never considers small province first. Their Pakistan start and finish in Punjab only. I strongly object this

They need to do all things in punjab first so they could claim victory and get more votes. Politicians divide peoples.

 

[My-Analogous]

They need to do all things in punjab first so they could claim victory and get more votes. Politicians divide peoples.

That is why we have to make more province so that they have to work on more then one area

 

[Indus Pakistan]

I agree that the Korakaram rail link is the crown to the transport project.

I hope to see the day Karakorum Rail is built. I would double premium to travel from Islamabad to Kashgar by rail. The day this is built I believe Pakistan will go through a profound change. It would flood Pakistan with Chinese influence and displace the obscurantism that has taken root. It will be the greatest construction project in Pakistan's history.

The rail line had undergone surveying for many years.

When? Any idea of cost of such a project and possible time date?

 

[khansaheeb]

I agree that the Korakaram rail link is the crown to the transport project. The rail line had undergone surveying for many years.

Currently there are the constraints of funding and number of experienced personnel from China (it is aslo undergoing major infrastructure projects of its own in highland regions). The strategy is to make the new rail network usable as soon as possible at least certain sections of it first, thus starting with main/high utilization routes and easy to build routes is the fastest way for it to have economic benefits.

The tunnel is immensely difficult to build due to factors like flaky stone type, altitude, terrain and remoteness. It will take up considerable amounts of personnel, funding, and equipment, leaving little for other rail developments during its construction. High altitude requires multiple times the man-hours and personnel to build, in addition to a plethora of medical facilities and material logistics, as experienced in building tunnels in the highlands of Tibet, Yunnan, and Sichuan. If the Korakaram rail line is constructed first, Pakistan won't see economic benefits of such a big project for many years while starting in Punjab will allow the project to have economic benefits in a year. Be patient my friends.

"Let some people get rich first" - Deng Xiaoping (1992)

Let's start the project my Chinese friends, we will meet you in the middle from our side!
If Qinghai–Tibet railway or Qingzang railway can built then the Karakorum railway is no big deal, just need the decision, let the Chinese and Pakistani engineers make it happen.

 

[FuturePAF]

Pakistan should look at triple tracking Main Line-1; and leaving space every 20-30 km for sidings. The reason being the need for Main Line-1 to handle passenger and freight traffic in the coming years, and have the capacity to prevent any slow downs due to planned servicing and in the event of unplanned situations like derailments or accidents of any sort. freight trains can be slow and passenger trains need to stick to a schedule. when freight traffic increases two or even three freight trains may need to go one way, or stop near major cities. that is where sidings coming into play.

Pakistan also needs to plan out its train system to compete with the Indian-Japanese Dedicated freight corridor in a cost effective manner.

another benefit of a third track would be to allow; with the use of positive train control (a way of managing and track train location on the track) to run local commuter trains on the same track.

the only investment besides positive train control would be commuter trains like the orange train in lahore. A Islamabad-Rawalpinidi commuter train network could use existing track and service areas of Wah and Taxila all the way to Bahria Town's Rawalpindi City; decreasing communing times and lower cost of doing business. A similar system could work in Karachi. Linking the Karachi Circular Rail Road with Bahria town north of Karachi and planned communities along the train route. Lahore would also majorly benefit from the tracks being used; and would be a second commuter route; also tieing in areas out side of Lahore's core area with the rest of Lahore Public Transportation network.

 

[Clutch]

Pakistan should look at triple tracking Main Line-1; and leaving space every 20-30 km for sidings. The reason being the need for Main Line-1 to handle passenger and freight traffic in the coming years, and have the capacity to prevent any slow downs due to planned servicing and in the event of unplanned situations like derailments or accidents of any sort. freight trains can be slow and passenger trains need to stick to a schedule. when freight traffic increases two or even three freight trains may need to go one way, or stop near major cities. that is where sidings coming into play.

Pakistan also needs to plan out its train system to compete with the Indian-Japanese Dedicated freight corridor in a cost effective manner.

another benefit of a third track would be to allow; with the use of positive train control (a way of managing and track train location on the track) to run local commuter trains on the same track.

the only investment besides positive train control would be commuter trains like the orange train in lahore. A Islamabad-Rawalpinidi commuter train network could use existing track and service areas of Wah and Taxila all the way to Bahria Town's Rawalpindi City; decreasing communing times and lower cost of doing business. A similar system could work in Karachi. Linking the Karachi Circular Rail Road with Bahria town north of Karachi and planned communities along the train route. Lahore would also majorly benefit from the tracks being used; and would be a second commuter route; also tieing in areas out side of Lahore's core area with the rest of Lahore Public Transportation network.

Thank you for the insightful post. ...

 

[FuturePAF]

Thank you for the insightful post. ...

Thanks

Some informative videos that inspired me:

(We have to think of our economy, and finding jobs for our people (a lot of young people used to build the nation helps, no jobs for a generation created a nation too old and underdeveloped to ever become anything; permanent poverty; Similar to Eastern Europe) as at the level of a war. The current center of gravity of Pakistan is its Economy, if a competitor or enemy destroys that, they will advance and Pakistan will fall. That how serious this has to be taken.)

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

I hope to see the day Karakorum Rail is built. I would double premium to travel from Islamabad to Kashgar by rail. The day this is built I believe Pakistan will go through a profound change. It would flood Pakistan with Chinese influence and displace the obscurantism that has taken root. It will be the greatest construction project in Pakistan's history.

When? Any idea of cost of such a project and possible time date?

The feasibility report for Kashgar-Havelian rail link is coming up to $10 billion.. till its done the goods will be traveling via road from Kashgar to haveliann dry port. And by rail from there to karachi. it will cost an extra couple days of loading/unloading compared to a rail link with no break of guage.
A rail link through CARs and Iran is the other option for China but some of the down sides wiht that options are two extra transit states adding complexity and cost ,smaller market in the way and the two rail guage breaks.
http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/freight/single-view/view/china-iran-container-train.html