Hyde
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ISLAMABAD (August 05 2009): China has committed to assist Pakistan for carrying out five mega projects to boost Pakistan Railways (PR), which include laying of rail track to connect Central Asian States to increase regional trade. Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour informed this on Tuesday during a press conference after his weeklong official visit to China.
He said that Pakistan Railways will start work on five mega projects in collaboration with China this year adding that a Pak-China Consortium will be established before starting work on these mega projects. Ghulam Ahmad Bilour during his visit along with a six-member delegation held important meetings with senior Chinese officials as well as the Chinese minister for railways. During the visit, Bilour also visited various railway manufacturing installations.
Federal Minister said that Pakistan Railways will lay down dual track between Khunjrab-Islamabad, Quetta-Kandhar, Gwadar-Quetta, Karachi-Torkhum and Quetta-Iran to start cargo service in an effort to boost trade with neighbouring countries.
He said that railway track between Khunjrab and Islamabad would help in upgrading and strengthening the freight system of Pakistan Railways with Afghanistan. He further said that Pakistan Railways is making all out efforts to start the proposed Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul international first freight train service from August 14.
Minister said that the proposed train service will be a pilot project of Economic Co-operation Organisation (ECO) in line with agreement signed by the three countries in March this year. The proposed service would go full steam once technical difficulties relating to laying different rail gauges in Pakistan and Iran are sorted out.
He explained that the freight train would initially be dedicated for the transportation of cargo containers and would afterwards include other goods and passenger services. He said that it will not only open a new era of socio-economic development and prosperity in this region, but also bring the people closer in every sphere of life.
Bilour said that the proposed train would not only add to economic uplift but also strengthen the friendship and co-operation among the three brotherly countries. He further added that the inter-state goods traffic has sufficient potential to make the venture a success. Federal Minister said that proposed container train from Islamabad to Istanbul via Tehran is a beginning to run passenger train services, enabling Pakistan to join the international club of Railways.
He said that Pakistan Railways would get a chance to strengthen and boost its freight system by launching this freight service. It would also be beneficial in terms of revenue generation and availability of employment opportunities at domestic level, he added.