KP CM orders to speed up mass transit railway project

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has ordered the monitoring of Greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project on a daily basis as the project has become part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and reflected in the minutes of Joint Cooperation Committee meeting.

According to an official handout, he was presiding over a meeting on the Greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Provincial Minister Shahram Tarakai, Additional Chief Secretary Azam Khan and others attended the meeting.

The chief minister directed to finalise draft agreements for the project without waste of time as the project would be taken to the JCC meeting for agreement in November. He said it was the most feasible project that would connect five central districts of the province.

Pervez Khattak approved the third party evaluation for the prices indicated in the PC-I in order to make this project feasible in all respects. He directed to form a committee of experts to look after the activities being undertaken under the project.

The participants of the meeting were briefed about the regional connectivity by the project. They were told that that the already existing 34.43 km railway track from Peshawar to Nowshera would be upgraded.

The existing railway track from Nowshera to Mardan (23.3 km) and Mardan to Charsadda (36.1 km) would also be upgraded. However, a 30-km-long new railway track from Charsadda to Peshawar would be laid down under the project.

The chief minister directed that the railway department and the Transport Department should prepare own PC-Is that would be given practical and final shape after consultation with both the departments.

He said each department would determine its responsibility and have to fulfill it, adding the Federal Minister Railway Khwaja Saad Rafique had already agreed to the use of existing track for the purpose. However, the provincial government would prepare a feasible proposal to avert any inefficiency in the services of rail communication and simultaneously to ensure that greater Peshawar Region Mass Transit Circular Railway Project is not obstructed.

The participants were briefed about the progress on the project and informed that Pakistan Railways had already announced a committee in consultation with the provincial government for technical help.

The provincial government has also announced a core committee for the project. Both committees would work to fulfill the requirements and remove the hurdles in this regard. The Chinese company was asked to open its office in Peshawar and the land acquisition process would be initiated for the Charsadda to Peshawar track.

The Pakistan Railways has been approached for the feasibility report and project cost revision, the participants were informed. The chief minister directed to finalise all arrangements to bring the project to the implementation phase without a waste of time.