Rs 3.3 billion plan to double train tracks in Punjab

Staff Report

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) will complete the dualisation of its 25-kilometre-long Sher Shah-Shujaabad track by next March according to its master plan to dualise 121 kilometres of tracks between Khanewal and Lodhran.

PR sources told Daily Times on Wednesday that the track dualisation plan that would cost PR Rs 3.3 billion had been divided into two phases: doubling the 49-km-long track from Khanewal to Multan and a 70-km-long track from Sher Shah to Lodhran including the 10-kilometre distance between yards. Sources said the duration of time for railcars would be reduced on the mainline from Lahore to Karachi and branch line from Rawalpindi to Sher Shah and then from Shujaabad to Khanewal.

A PR official said the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), which was given a Rs 52 million contract for an embankment, had completed 98 percent of work between Sher Shah to Lodhran and by the end of this month the embankment work would start on the Khanewal-Multan track. The official said after completion of embankment work by end of December, work on the sub-blast would start from next January and the 25-km-long track between Sher Shah and Shujaabad would be completed within one month.

A senior FWO official told Daily Times that a laboratory had been set up for inspection of the embankment operation.

PR official sources said that after dualisation of the rail track between Sher Shah and Shujhaabad goods transportation load on this track would be reduced.

Home | National