Pakistan, China ink agreement to upgrade Karachi-Peshawar rail track

[Kabira]

BEIJING: Pakistan on Monday signed an agreement with China to upgrade Karachi-Peshawar railway track, besides other projects.

The framework agreement of upgradation of Karachi-Peshawar track was signed at a ceremony at the Chinese Ministry of Transport office.

Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique, led the Pakistani delegation at the ceremony, while the Chinese minister for transport represented China.

Chief ministers from Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also present on the occasion.

The signing of the agreement comes during a six-day visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to China to attend the Silk Road summit opened on Sunday to promote an ambitious global trade infrastructure project highlighting China's growing leadership on globalisation.

Speaking afterwards, Rafique said the agreement of upgradation of main line track (ML1), from Karachi to Torkham, is a historic one.

"This agreement paves a way for innovation in Pakistan Railways," he said, elaborating that the track connects three provinces of the country.

The Chinese minister for transport also assured of expediting work on Karachi circular railway, and other projects in Quetta and Peshawar.

Earlier in the day, Premier Sharif hailed China’s One Belt One Road initiative as the “beginning of a new era for humanity”, saying it would bring unprecedented opportunities to the poor regions to break free from poverty.

The two countries signed three agreements pertaining to economic and technical cooperation worth 3.4 billion Yuan for Gwadar port and East Bay expressway, according to media reports.

Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) related to cooperation within the framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road initiative, and the establishment of Havelian Dry Port were also signed.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the Chinese premier Li Keqiang.
https://www.geo.tv/latest/141929-Pakistan-China-ink-agreement-to-upgrade-Karachi-Peshawar-rail-track

 

[Maxpane]

its just upgradation or they will double the line?

 

[FuturePAF]

Double track is a necessity is any efficient transport of freight or passengers is to be done. One issue most overlook is the looking into straightening the path of the train where possible, and moving stations and rail yards to areas outside of congested areas of the cities. fencing off the tracks is also a must and debris near the track or people or animals moving across the tracks limits the maximum utility of the railways.

The current route was laid out during the colonial period, and there is no reason we must be fixated on that route; out side the box thinking should be done; and using 160 kmph tracks (as the current chinese plans envision) Pakistani trains can run at their fastest possible speed, and win back freight and passenger traffic from the current 4% to at least where is was at 20% a few decades ago.