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A train service — Islamabad-Murree-Muzaffarabad — is going to become a reality as the federal government has directed the Planning Commission to prepare a feasibility report costing Rs30 million of this ambitious project, sources said here on Sunday.
Sources said the feasibility of the project would be jointly prepared by members of the Engineering Department of Pakistan Railways and technical experts from China after which the government would take decision about how and when the project should be undertaken for the benefit of millions of people.
An official said 107-km long track would have 50 bridges over streams and lakes and approximately five million people annually would benefit from this service. “The feasibility study would also focus on the railway track from Havelian to Garhi Habibullah and Garhi Habibullah to Muzaffarabad that would help connect various cities of Punjab and AJK with a single railway track,” he said.
He said Capital Development Authority (CDA) would be given the task to remove encroachments alongside the stretch of the Bhara Kahu Road within the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad with an aim to clear the way for the Pakistan Railways to extend technical expertise to establish a narrow gauge rail link to Murree.
“The project is technically feasible as Murree is situated at a height of 2,291 metres and in 1906 the British India government had successfully laid such a track to Shimla situated at a height of 2,200 metres,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that India has been successfully operating its railway service in seven hilly areas out of them four are considered outstanding example of engineering marvels including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881), the Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898), the Kangra Valley Railway (1924), and the Kashmir Railway (2005) in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern India.
The sources said the government planned to construct new railway tracks after the consortium of three companies from the United States, Germany and China has formally conveyed to Ministry of Railways that it would start delivery of 58 diesel electric locomotives costing Rs20.3 billion from next month.
“Pakistan Railways has received a letter from the consortium in which it showed its ability to start delivery of diesel electric locomotives from February with each costing Rs350 million,” the sources said.
The official documents showed that body of the locomotives have been manufactured by US based firm while frames and electric parts have been prepared by Chinese and German companies respectively.
“Ministry of Pakistan Railways is also reviewing a project to make 70 locomotives functional in the coming months that would increase the number of functional locomotives to 240 that would help improve rail service in the country,” the source said.
According to official record, Pakistan Railways has a total of 465 diesel electric locomotives out of which only 170 are functional and remaining have been placed in sheds for last many years.
Secretary Railways Board Aftab Akbar told this correspondent that Pakistan Railways is currently reviewing various ambitious plans that may see daylight in the coming months including a construction of a railway track from Islamabad to hilly resorts Murree and Muzffarabad.
“We have been facing shortage of locomotives but an international consortium is going to provide us 58 locomotives and we are also going to make 70 locomotives functional in the coming months. It would help us initiate new projects and move our trains across the country,” he said.
He said, “The consortium has informed us through a letter that it would start delivering locomotives from February that would certainly help us achieve the target of increasing average rail speed up to 120 km per hour.”
Islamabad-Murree-Muzaffarabad train service to become a reality soon - thenews.com.pk
Sources said the feasibility of the project would be jointly prepared by members of the Engineering Department of Pakistan Railways and technical experts from China after which the government would take decision about how and when the project should be undertaken for the benefit of millions of people.
An official said 107-km long track would have 50 bridges over streams and lakes and approximately five million people annually would benefit from this service. “The feasibility study would also focus on the railway track from Havelian to Garhi Habibullah and Garhi Habibullah to Muzaffarabad that would help connect various cities of Punjab and AJK with a single railway track,” he said.
He said Capital Development Authority (CDA) would be given the task to remove encroachments alongside the stretch of the Bhara Kahu Road within the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad with an aim to clear the way for the Pakistan Railways to extend technical expertise to establish a narrow gauge rail link to Murree.
“The project is technically feasible as Murree is situated at a height of 2,291 metres and in 1906 the British India government had successfully laid such a track to Shimla situated at a height of 2,200 metres,” he said.
It is pertinent to mention here that India has been successfully operating its railway service in seven hilly areas out of them four are considered outstanding example of engineering marvels including the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881), the Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898), the Kangra Valley Railway (1924), and the Kashmir Railway (2005) in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern India.
The sources said the government planned to construct new railway tracks after the consortium of three companies from the United States, Germany and China has formally conveyed to Ministry of Railways that it would start delivery of 58 diesel electric locomotives costing Rs20.3 billion from next month.
“Pakistan Railways has received a letter from the consortium in which it showed its ability to start delivery of diesel electric locomotives from February with each costing Rs350 million,” the sources said.
The official documents showed that body of the locomotives have been manufactured by US based firm while frames and electric parts have been prepared by Chinese and German companies respectively.
“Ministry of Pakistan Railways is also reviewing a project to make 70 locomotives functional in the coming months that would increase the number of functional locomotives to 240 that would help improve rail service in the country,” the source said.
According to official record, Pakistan Railways has a total of 465 diesel electric locomotives out of which only 170 are functional and remaining have been placed in sheds for last many years.
Secretary Railways Board Aftab Akbar told this correspondent that Pakistan Railways is currently reviewing various ambitious plans that may see daylight in the coming months including a construction of a railway track from Islamabad to hilly resorts Murree and Muzffarabad.
“We have been facing shortage of locomotives but an international consortium is going to provide us 58 locomotives and we are also going to make 70 locomotives functional in the coming months. It would help us initiate new projects and move our trains across the country,” he said.
He said, “The consortium has informed us through a letter that it would start delivering locomotives from February that would certainly help us achieve the target of increasing average rail speed up to 120 km per hour.”
Islamabad-Murree-Muzaffarabad train service to become a reality soon - thenews.com.pk
