ISLAMABAD -  The Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique, will re-launch upgraded Kohat Express on Wednesday (today) at the Kohat Railway Station. The service will ply between Rawalpindi and Kohat.

The train service was suspended on 15th November 2011 and now it is being rebooted and the federal government has re-launched it as a gift for people of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, said the spokesman of the Ministry of Railway here on Tuesday.

The spokesman said that the train service would provide systematise, economical and safe travel for people of the KP.

This train will connect residents of Kohat to other regions of the country via Rawalpindi and Islamabad, he said.

This improved rail car has seven coaches, while the old rail car had five coaches, the spokesman said.

Approximately, Rs350 million have been spent for resuming of the rail car service and up-gradation of the entire system.

Kohat Cantt Railway Station, Tarnol, Bosal and Jand railway stations have also been upgraded, he said.

Moreover, Pakistan Railways has upgraded its signalling system at Fateh Jang, Gugan, Faqeer Hussain Shaheed and Babri Panda with the cost of Rs10.9 million, the spokesperson said.

For secure travel through Kohat Express, five unmanned level crossings have been manned between Kohat and Jand with a cost of Rs40.12 million, he said.

A side drain between Kohat and Jand has also been walled with a cost of Rs27 million.

The one-way fare for the Kohat-Rawalpindi service will be Rs160.

The signalling system was upgraded and the 164 kilometre-long track has also been improved, the spokesman said.

The train would reach Kohat from Rawalpindi in three hours, which is half the time the public transport takes, he said.

The public transport takes five to six hours, he added.

Apart from rehabilitation of Kohat Express, Pakistan Railways has also rehabilitated 44 rakes of important trains, the spokesman said.

Pakistan Railways has upgraded Karakoram Express, Green Line, Khushal Khan Khattak Express, Hazara Express, Musa Pak, Fareed Express, Pakistan Express and Allama Iqbal Express, he said.

Pakistan Railways has also prepared schedule for putting the 10 upgraded rakes of Mehran Express, Khyber Mail, Bahauddin Zakariya and Akbar Bugti Express on system.

Right now these upgraded rakes are in railways workshops.

These upgraded trains will help in building public trust on Pakistan Railways.