Railways all set to launch Sir Syed Express tomorrow

Railways all set to launch Sir Syed Express tomorrow

Islamabad: Ministry of Railways had finalised all arrangements to launch a non-stop train from Rawalpindi to Karachi Sir Syed Express on July 3 to facilitate the passengers and earn more revenue for the department.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was likely to inaugurate Sir Syed Express at Rawalpindi Railways Station, an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP. He said the present government was taking all possible measures to overcome the losses of Pakistan Railways and to ensure the provision of comfortable, modern, swift and safe means of transportation to the passengers.

Regarding the facilities in Sir Syed Express, he said the train would have in-house television, wifi, cabin service, on wheel restaurant, bedding, sound system and accessories kit. The official said the train would leave the Rawalpindi Railway Station at 2:30 p.m. via Faisalabad and at 9:00 p.m. from Karachi Railway Station.

He said that Pakistan Railways had announced advance booking for the train and till date all the seats of Sir Syed Express were booked and no more seats were available. To a question, he said that over 200 acres of commercial and residential land of Pakistan Railways was under illegal occupation of the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Around 113.55 acres railways land were under unauthorized utilization of different government departments of Punjab and 87.017 acres were under the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said.

Giving details of the railways land in Punjab, he said 95.56 acres land was under unauthorized use of Revenue Department of Attock City, 9.99 acres were occupied by Board of Revenue Mianwali, 3.81 acres by Education Department Punjab for Construction of School in Mianwali, 3.69 acres by Attock Tehsil Municipal Office and 0.5 acres by Highway Punjab Mianwali.

In Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, he said 46 acres land was being used without authorisation by Bannu District Government, 22.33 acres by Health Department of Nowshera, 11.509 acres by Traffic Police, Revenue Departments of Peshawar, 6.77 acres by Police Department of Hangu and Lakki Marwat and 0.048 by District Police Kohat.

He said special campaign for removal of encroachment had been launched in the divisions resulting in 51.40 acres of railways land retrieved during the last three months. The official said divisions were actively carrying out campaign against the land mafia to retrieve valuable state land with the help of concerned district administration and as well as district railway police.

One major factor which makes hurdles in retrieval of railways land was stay orders from the courts as presently about 185 land cases were under trial in different courts, which were also vigorously followed in the light of orders passed by the Supreme Court, he added.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/492550-railways-all-set-to-launch-sir-syed-express-tomorrow