MARDAN - Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid has said that Nowshera-Dargai train shuttle would be made operational from April 30. He said it would be another landmark step taken by the government in the light of the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan to provide cheaper transport facilities to the general public.
Moreover, for the promotion of tourism in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, he said, four locomotives will be given besides rehabilitating the old tracks. He said a request in this connection has already been made to Chief Minister to take timley steps for removing all hurdles in way of the railway track.
He said this while talking to reporters during his visit to inspect current ongoing work for the restoration of Nowshera-Dargai Railways track. Minister Ali Muhammad Khan was also present on this occasion. Federal Minister Sheikh Rashid disclosed that with the support of provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dargai-Karachi, Attock and Kundian tracks would also be restored and rehabilitated on priority basis.
“We are going to create 10,000 jobs in Railways and soon it would be a profitable organisation,” he added. He said steps have been taken for the development of double track of 1,700km between Peshawar and Karachi to run a 160km per hour train.
With the improvement of Railways, economics activities would increase, he said, adding, “Fourteen years back I was the person who started ML-I with China.”
Federal Minister Sheikh Rashid said that they have set a target of Rs10 billion saving and so far they have reached to Rs4 billion. He said with the grace of Almighty Allah the set target would be achieved in the due course of time. He said three more trains each from Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be included in the main fleet besides steps would be taken for the removal of encroachments on both sides of the track across the country. “No encroachment would be allowed near railway tracks,” he warned. He said we believe in democratic norms and have struggled for the supremacy of democracy in the country. “When we decided to go for a train march the then government did not allow us but now we are providing train to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari,” he said.