PR will give Quetta track rehab priority.
An official claims that plans call for the 160 km Bostan-Chaman route to be restored as well.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is working tirelessly to restore a 33.5 km stretch of track by replacing the sleepers between the Quetta-Bostan and Quetta-Chaman sections as soon as possible. An official source in the ministry of railways claims that the upgraded track would not only benefit commuters and small business owners but will also link the province’s three largest cities.
With the closed Bostan-Zhob segment included, the total length of the railway track in Balochistan is 1470.36 kilometres. Due to deferred maintenance and resource limitations, engineering speed restrictions have been put in place on some parts of the track that are more than a century old. Using the resources at hand, the track is being routinely maintained.
The department has approved the PC-I for the track and is rehabilitating a further 100 km of track between Ahmedwal Dalbadin on the Quetta-Taftan stretch, among other actions, to improve railway services in Balochistan. Moreover, the Quetta-Chaman section’s 160.024 km of track between Bostan and Chaman will undergo restoration.
According to the source, two tourist train journeys between Quetta and Bostan had already begun, and the Bolan Mail passenger train would soon be running to accommodate passengers. Together with the track renewal for the Sibi-Khost segment, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is working with the building of Chaman Terminal.
In response to a query, the source acknowledged that losses incurred by Pakistan Railways during the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) administration totaled more than Rs150 billion.
