LAHORE: The Pakistan railways has recently handed over a Rs130 million cheque to the National Logistics Cell (NLC) as the first tranche of payment for the completion of Sibi-Harnai-Khost section in Balochistan.

Both passenger and freight trains will resume operation on the track by October next year.

“Militants had in 2007-8 destroyed five big and three small bridges between Sibi and Khost, forcing suspension of all kinds of rail service on the section,” said a senior officer of the Railways at its headquarters in Lahore on Monday.

Work on the restoration of the track could not be initiated mainly because of security reasons and the PR had been suffering a loss of at least Rs8 million per month since the closure of the section.

The rail track between Sibi and Harnai was laid by the British in 1884, touching Nakas, Shahrigh Khost and Zhob. There have been eight railway stations on the section and at least 133 kilometers track required rehabilitation.

“The track passes through a 65-kilometer-long mountainous terrain comprising Harnai, Nakas, Khost and Zardalo which are rich in coal reserves.

Trains had been the cheapest and safest mode of transportation not only for the coal but also for the agricultural produce for which the other localities along the track have been famous.

“Non-availability of funds had also been the other major reason that hampered track rehabilitation,” said the officer.

Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Sanaullah Zehri had on March 3 performed a groundbreaking of the Sibi-Khost rail track rehabilitation project which was to be completed by the NLC within 18 months at an estimated cost of Rs1.5 billion.

“Restoration of the rail traffic between the Sibi-Khost section will revive economic activities in the resource-rich areas of Balochistan.

Initiation of work on the project has already generated economic activity which has so far created job opportunities for as many as 2,000 residents of Sibi and Harnai”, said the officer.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2016