KARACHI (Web Desk) - Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi has announced that Pakistan will restore two passenger rail services in September and October as part of a phased revival of suspended routes.
In a statement issued here on Saturday, Minister Hanif Abbasi said the Mohenjo Daro passenger train will resume operations on Sept 15, while a service between the eastern city of Sialkot and Rawalpindi will begin on Oct 15, according to a statement from the railways ministry.
Abbasi said railway authorities had been directed to make the necessary arrangements.
“All suspended trains will be restored in phases,” the statement quoted him as saying.
Pakistan’s sprawling but aging railway network has struggled for years with deteriorating infrastructure, slow journey times and financial constraints, prompting successive governments to seek investment in modernization.
The government has recently stepped up efforts to revive passenger services and upgrade infrastructure, with Pakistan Railways reporting record revenue of Rs115 billion ($414 million) in the last fiscal year. Railways authorities have also been working to improve stations and introduce new and restored services.
Abbasi said preparations for the long-delayed Main Line-1, or ML-1, railway upgrade had entered their final stage and work was scheduled to begin in January.
ML-1, the Karachi-Peshawar railway artery, has long been planned for upgrading under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor but has faced repeated delays over financing and the project’s scope. Pakistan has more recently sought to advance it in phases, beginning with the Karachi-Rohri section.
“The ML-1 project will transform Pakistan Railways,” Abbasi said.