ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has launched an extensive programme to upgrade ageing rail infrastructure, expand the network and restore long-neglected sections, with the objective of improving safety, reducing travel time and strengthening national connectivity.
The department owns a total of 11,881 track kilometers and 7,791 route kilometers across the country. “Nearly 67 percent of the existing track has become over-aged,” an official in the Ministry of Railways said. Despite limited investment in railway infrastructure for more than seven decades, the official said, Pakistan Railways has continued to maintain operations to ensure sustainable service delivery.
Among the key ongoing projects, he said, is the construction of a 105-kilometer new rail link connecting Thar Coal Mines with Chhor Railway Station, a project expected to facilitate energy transportation and promote regional development. He said that several operational routes are currently being upgraded under PSDP-funded track safety initiatives.
These include immediate and essential safety works on critical sections such as Tando Adam-Rohri, Rohri-Khanpur, Keamari-Hyderabad, Khanewal-Shorkot-Faisalabad, Sheikhupura-Shahdara, Sher Shah-Kundian, Rohri-Sibi and Kotri-Akhundabad.
At the planning stage, the official said Pakistan Railways has proposed large-scale upgradation of branch lines with financial support from the provincial governments of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan.
