Pakistan

Tonymercury · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:32 am

KARACHI: Wazir Mansion station being upgraded

KARACHI, Oct 8: The Pakistan Railways is upgrading the Wazir Mansion railway station in view of growing trade activity.

It plans to lay more tracks to provide an infrastructure for the operation of an increased number of freight trains originating and culminating at this station.

At present, the PR is operating two freight trains on a daily basis to transport mainly coal, cement and clinker.

Plans are afoot to operate two more freight trains to transport coal to the upcountry destinations like Wah, Taxila, Usman Khattar, etc and to bring in cement and clinker from Daudkhel, Wah and Khairabad for export purposes.

Coal consignments imported from South Africa and Indonesia arrive at the Karachi port and then shifted to Wazir Mansion for transportation to their upcountry destinations.

Cement consignments meant for export are brought in from upcountry directly to the Wazir Mansion station and then transported to the port for shipment.

According to railway sources, about 2,000 tons of coal is transported from Wazir Mansion and about 1,200 tons of cement is brought to the station every day.—APP

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Tonymercury · Posted: Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:37 am

Govt decides to revive National Mass Transit Authority
By M. Waqar Bhatti
10/11/2008
Karachi

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has directed that the National Mass Transit Authority (NAMTA) be revived – for the third time since 1994 – with the federal Railways Minister as its chief. He has also directed that provincial mass transit authorities be set up in all four provinces to promote, plan, develop and regulate an urban mass transit system in all major cities of the country.

Taking a lead in this regard, the Sindh government, 10 to 12 days ago, had established the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA) with former DCO Dadu District Dr Mukhtar Soomro as its Managing Director and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah as the authority’s Chairman, Mukhtar Soomro confirmed to The News on Friday.

Soomro dispelled the impression that the creation of the SMTA could create a rift between the Sindh government and the City District Government Karachi (CDGK), saying it had not interfered with projects initiated by the CDGK nor has it any such intentions.

Soomro said that, during a meeting in the last week of September, the prime minister had directed that the NAMTA be revived and it was decided that Chairman, Railway Board, who is also the federal Railways Minister, would head the body as its chairman.

During the meeting, provincial governments were also urged to establish provincial mass transit authorities, he said, adding that Sindh has taken a lead in this regard by creating the SMTA, which was placed under the administrative control of the provincial Finance Department. It is worth mentioning here that the NAMTA was set up by Benazir-led PPP government in 1994 with senior PPP leader Prof. N.D Khan as its chief but, before initiating any project, it was rolled back along with the dismissal of the PPP government.

The NAMTA was revived again in 2007 on the directives of the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz and it was decided at a meeting chaired by former federal Railways Minister Shaikh Rasheed Ahmed that NAMTA would act as a regulatory authority for mass transit systems. However, the authority remained functionless till the completion of the previous government’s tenure owing to political turmoil as well as many other factors and no progress was made on planning, conducting feasibility studies or executing mass transit systems in major cities of the country.

The MD SMTA Dr Mukhtar Soomro believed that with the revival of NAMTA and creation of a provincial mass transit authority, work on various proposals of mass transit systems in the major urban centres of the province would be expedited.

“Currently, the SMTA is in its initial stage and as such it is not fully functional at the moment. The authority’s composition has also not been completed as yet,” he said, adding that the authority was yet to convene its first meeting since its inception. “We are planning to hold the first meeting of the mass transit authority in the 3rd or 4th week of this month, depending on the availability of the Sindh chief minister,” he informed.

Commenting on the role of provincial mass transit authority, he said that the need for creating such a body was felt keeping in view the transport requirements of major urban centres of the province including Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah. “Top priority would of course be given to Karachi for being the capital of the province but other major cities of the province also need mass transit systems as their population is also growing at the same speed,” he informed. Dispelling an impending rift between the CDGK and the Sindh government, Soomro said that, “all the mass transit projects are in their early stages and there is need for a centralized authority to materialize and execute all these projects. Mass transit projects require huge funding that can only be arranged by the provincial and federal governments from the donor agencies,” he claimed.

According to him, the Nazims and DCOs of major cities of the province would also be members of the authority, as, without their presence, mass transit projects could not be planned and executed as per their own needs and requirements.

On the other hand, the CDGK was not satisfied with the creation of SMTA and the City Nazim Karachi had reportedly raised the issue with President Asif Zardari in a meeting last month that was also attended by the Sindh CM and the provincial cabinet members.

On the creation of SMTA, the CDGK officials expressed fears that it could jeopardize all their efforts for various mass transit projects being pursued by the city government and citizens might have to wait for years to have transport facilities of international standard.

Tony Bailey
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Tonymercury · Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:42 am

Trains running sans signal system in Sindh
PR not in position to restore system

Sunday, October 12, 2008
By Mumtaz Alvi

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways (PR) is still running trains on manual signal system even after the December 2007 riots, which had destroyed its infrastructure.

“Immediately after the PPP-led government took over the Ministry of Railways, it dispatched a summary to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, seeking financial assistance to restore signal system in Sindh, but it was rejected,” sources in the ministry told The News on Saturday.

The PR was not in a position to restore the signal system on its own, therefore, train service was restored within hours from the Port Qasim to Mirpur Mathelo and other parts of the country with manual signalling.

“It is like treating the railways, as it was previously. How can a public welfare-oriented organisation improve its functioning when it is not being treated even-handedly on a matter relating to safety,” complained a senior Railways official, requesting anonymity.

He pointed out that at a time when trains hit the tracks in Kashmir on Saturday, the Pakistan Railways was operating on obsolete communication system.

Rioters went on rampage following the assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on December 27 last year and set ablaze Railways’ locomotives, coaches, railway stations and also destroyed its signal system.

The replacement of the outdated signal system apart from the restoration of destroyed system from Bin Qasim to Mirpur Mathelo is long overdue, the official said and added that in 2004, the Asian Development Bank had agreed to provide Rs 9 billion for the project.

However, it could not be initiated due to some reasons, he lamented.

Former minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad again pushed for the realisation of the project in 2007 to install a better signal system, but its cost shoot up to Rs 24 billion by that time.

“A Swedish company was to undertake the project, but it has now abandoned the initiative and also conveyed it to the Asian Development Bank in the wake of prevailing uncertain security conditions in Pakistan,” the official said, adding: “The ADB is not likely to fund the project any longer.”

This extremely important ministry is without a minister after the legislators of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) pulled out of the ruling coalition over the issue of reinstatement of the sacked judges.

A seasoned politician, who served as Railways minister, said legislators never show any interest in taking over the Ministry of Railways.

The slot of railway minister should be accepted as a challenge in view of common man travelling by it, he added.

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Tonymercury · Posted: Wed Oct 22, 2008 5:14 am

Is railway waiting for a major mishap?
Saturday, October 18, 2008
By Khalid Iqbal
Rawalpindi

The dilapidated condition of Mareer Railway Bridge is a constant threat for both the residents of nearby localities, who frequently use the bridge to reach work places and schools, as well as millions of motorists using the underneath Benazir Bhutto Road daily.

One can see school going children and even cattle crossing the bridge. The huge holes in the steel sheets of the bridge are extremely unsafe for pedestrians and also frighten the motorists, who are often hit by pebbles through the holes while waiting at the Mareer Chowk traffic signal.

The lives of thousands of pedestrians including school children are at risk and at night-time, the dilapidated bridge can prove to be more fatal for anyone. When a train crosses the bridge, it creates a deafening sound due to the broken iron sheets.

The bridge is in shabby condition for the last many years but the authorities don’t pay any heed to replace the iron sheets under the bridge, said Rashid Malik, a motorcyclist. “Traffic remains blocked on this chowk for a long time, which adds to the apprehensions of motorists waiting underneath the bridge,” another motorist, Imtiaz Ahmed, told ‘The News’.

Many of the pedestrians as well as children have sustained injuries while crossing the bridge. “I always cross the road to reach the other side, as huge holes in the bridge are very dangerous for pedestrians,” Afzal, a vendor, said. “Bare electric wires under the bridge also pose a threat to the passers-by, as short circuiting can cause a regrettable mishap,” Raja Adnan, a pedestrian, said.

Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Abdul Jabbar when contacted told ‘The News’ that he had received complaints about the dilapidated condition of the bridge. “I have deputed engineers, who have presented a report about the condition of the bridge, therefore, the repairing of the bridge will be started in a couple of days,” he added.

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Tonymercury · Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:57 am

Lunch while waiting for the train -

http://www.app.com.pk/photo/photo_lib/28-10-2008/3e99d7584f54369d85c394b087052190.jpg

Tony Bailey
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Tonymercury · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2008 5:33 am

Strategy being devised to bring Railway out of deficit: Bilour
LAHORE: Federal Minister for Railway, Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has announced that a strategy was being formulated in order to bring out Railways from deficit and in this concern Railway authorities had been given due instructions.

While addressing a press conference in Railway Headquarter, he told the media that his priority was to serve the people with safe and standardized travel.

Earlier, all the departments of Railway gave briefing to the Minister. Federal Minister indicating that the Railway deficit had increased in this year. “External factors and problems, rather than Railway’s own, have increased this deficit from Rs. 23 billion in the beginning of this year, to Rs. 28 billion”, he added.

He also told that 20 % increase in salaries and allowances had put an extra burden of Rs 609 million on Railway expenditure, while Railway had to spend Rs 291 million in connection to 20 % increase in pensions. “Increased oil prices, devaluation of Rupee and payment of foreign loans with interest are also the reasons of increased Railway expenditures however, all the challenges would be tackled”, he maintained.

The Minister informed that Indian Railway was much better than Pakistan Railway, and also cited faults discovered in the engines purchased from China urging on China to remove the faults and to improve their quality.

He also said that previous government had not taken effective steps for the improvement of Railway, and demanded the accountability of previous leaders in the government including Pervez Musharraf. “However, accountability against Musharraf would likely to be difficult but it is being reviewed at higher level”, he added.

Bilour also stated that Prime Minister and Parliament agreed over the abolishment of 17th amendment and 58 (2b) from the constitution.

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Tonymercury · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 4:54 am

ISLAMABAD Jun 11 2008: \

The government will undertake certain steps to improve its transport and communication policy under the Public Sector Development Programme allocations.

A major step under the NTC initiative, is the restructuring of Pakistan Railways on commercial lines.

Railways Business Plan is being prepared and a professional CEO would be appointed to run the Railways. Seven fast freight trains have already been introduced from Karachi to Lahore/Faisalabad and back.
The other important initiatives include finalization of track access policy for private sector and outsourcing of container transportation.

An allocation of Rs 11.3 billion has been made for 2008-09. Works on track rehabilitation of Pakistan Railway network, procurement of 69 DE locos, procurement/manufacture of 625 passenger coaches, procurement of 2300 bogie high capacity wagons, rehabilitation of 450 passenger coaches, recommissioning of 55 stabled DE locos, doubling of track on Lodhran-Raiwind sections, Damages to Railway Assets during riots in December 2007, and other on-going projects would continue.

Procurement/manufacture of 75 DE locomotives, 150 passenger coaches, construction of railway line and container terminal at Gwadar to provide up-country linkages, setting up of a PMU in the ministry, modern signalling Lodhran -Khanewal to Shahdra would be started.

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Tonymercury · Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 5:15 am

KARACHI, Dec 6 (APP): The Hyderabad‑Badin section of Pakistan Railway became operational after a lapse of several years after its formal inauguration by Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza at an impressive ceremony held in Badin Saturday.

It was in view of the commercial and logistic importance of the section and aspiration of the people of the area that revival of Hyderabad‑Badin section was considered need of the hour and will be of a great service to the people of the area who are facing great difficulty in travelling from Hyderabad and Badin by road.

It was Speaker National Assembly Dr Fahmida Mirza who stressed the need to introduce daily train service.

On directives of Ministry of Railways maintenance of track and renovation of stations was taken in hand in August 2008 with local resources.

NA Speaker took personal interest and arranged funds to the tune of Rs. 100 million from the Federal Government for rehabilitation of track and other infrastructure to make the section operative.

Effective emergent measures and revitalized abandoned infrastructure including Railway track, station buildings, signalling and communication system by utilizing released material making optimum use of available resources in record period of three months only.

Initially Badin Express will run at a speed of 65 km per hour and will cover the distance between Badin‑Hyderabad in two hours.

The rail service will definitely provide cheaper, safer and comfortable journey to the people of the area.

June 30, 1860 was the historical day when first Railway track between Karachi‑Kotri, a distance of 169 kilometre was opened for public traffic. After completion of Kotri bridge on River Indus Rail Link between Kotri‑Hyderabad (8.51 kilometre) was opened on 25th May 1900.

Owing to the importance of Badin, 99 Kilometre track was laid and opened for general public on August 15, 1904.

Expansion of the line across Rann of Kutch to link it with Bombay‑Baroda and Central Indian Railway to afford through communication from Sindh was considered but never materialized.

During the First World War track between Hyderabad‑Badin was dismantled and again reconstructed and opened in two phases on 19th January 1922 and 13th March 1922.

Hyderabad‑Badin is a strategical Railway line passing through thickly populated and fertile area, has tremendous potential for freight and passenger traffic.

The area is rich in agriculture which is evident from the fact that a number of Sugar Mills are set up in Tando Mohammad Khan, Matli and Badin Districts. PAF Base and Military Cantonment are also situated at Badin.

With the up gradation of road network people of the area lost their interest in rail service as it used to take three to four hours journey time from Hyderabad to Badin.

Ultimately daily train service was suspended in December 2000 and weekly train service was introduced to save the Railway assets and infrastructure.

The present Government setup an agenda promising good governance and economic prosperity to achieve ambitious targets, including revitalization of closed and neglected sections of the Railways which once generated sizeable revenue and facilitated the travelling public.

Tony Bailey
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