Railways to give 50 per cent discount to students from Dec 25 to Jan 10

LAHORE: Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad Saturday said that students will get 50 per cent discount on all train fares from Dec 25 to Jan 10. Addressing a press conference here at Railways headquarters on Saturday, he said to fill 11,000 vaccines in railways, an advertisement would be published on Nov 21 while an advertisement for posts of 155 sub-engineers had already been advertised.

The minister said that facilities would be provided to the disabled persons at railway stations so that they could easily board the trains, and special washrooms facilities would also be provided for the disabled in trains.

Sheikh Rashid said that a big project would be launched in Sindh at Rohri railway station where a new platform and more than 100 shops would be constructed near the railway station.

Credit for refurbishing 10 trains goes to railways workers and officers, he added.

Regarding trains derailment, the minister said a three-member committee comprising Dost Leghari, Shahid Aziz and Nisar Memon had been formed which would present a report on all derailment incidents taking place during his tenure and action would be taken against the responsible.

Regarding cases of Shalimar hospital, Royal Palm and Business Train, the minister said that the department would go to NAB for swift trial in the cases.

He said that last year, Railway Constructions Pakistan Limited (RAILCOP) earned Rs 500 million, and now it had been given a target of one billion rupees.

The minister said that strict action would be taken against the railway officers who would not discharge their field duties efficiently.

A China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) team would arrive in Lahore in the next few days, he disclosed.

Under the ML-1 project, a new track would be laid from Karachi to Peshawar for maintaining 160-km per hour speed of trains; track fencing would be ensured and it would help secure track and the land besides getting rid of accidents, he added.

He said, "We are going to make Kallar Kahar 56km long curve straight to 19km, which was situated between Gujjar Khan and Jhelum and the project would help in reducing the Rawalpindi-Lahore journey by almost an hour or 50 minutes.

To a question, the minister said that profit could be earned through freight sector and added that freight trains had been increased from eight to 10 with the grace of Allah Almighty.

He said that one freight train would become operational from Decemebr 25 and another by the end of January or in the start of February.

Sheikh Rashid said that 100 days were not sufficient for the PTI government for setting things right as the plunderers had badly ruined the economy.

The Railways minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan was striving hard for betterment, progress and prosperity of the country.