Sibbi-Harnai railway track to be operational soon

Author: APP

Pakistan Railways has almost completed the reconstruction and renovation work on the strategic Sibbi-Harnai railway track with the assistance of the National Logistics Cell (NLC) and it would be operational very soon.

“The railway track was made dysfunctional after a series of bomb blasts which damaged as many as 22 steel bridges in the highly rugged and inaccessible area,” sources in the Ministry of Railways told APP. They said the track was badly damaged in 2006 and so far about 97 percent of the reconstruction work of the project was completed and remaining work would be completed soon. The sources said that Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique had also taken keen interest in the projects and directed the concerned official to complete the project at the earliest. In March 2016, they said that a contract for rehabilitation and restoration of the Sibbi-Harnai railway track along with the up-gradation of railway stations was awarded to the NLC as no other construction firm agreed to undertake the project due to the prevalent security situation and enormity of the task.

During the initial survey of the track, they said it was found that 22 steel bridges of different sizes were completely destroyed and required replacement. They said in addition, massive river protection work was to be undertaken to save the infrastructure. The quantum of work, non-availability of road access, and requisite resources made the project a formidable challenge. The sources said undertaking the project with the sincerity of purpose and utmost sense of duty, NLC officers, engineers, and construction workers braved harsh weather conditions and a hostile security environment, and subsequently completed 97% of the rehabilitation works in record time.

The major task was the fabrication of steel bridges. The steel bridges were fabricated in Karachi and were transported all the way to the project site after being painstakingly assembled by NLC engineers in a befitting manner, they added.

They said a total of nine railway stations along with tracks have been upgraded by NLC engineers including the reconstruction of Harnai Railway Station and a complete renovation of Sibbi Railways Station, which can be regarded as the finest railway station in Balochistan.

Share
Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

  • Op-Ed

Petitions Against 26th Amendment

Lahore High Court Bar Association, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf (PTI), Jamaat Islami (JI) and a lawyer from…

9 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Constitutional Amendment and Judicial Oversight

The senior-most judges of the Supreme Court, Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Muneeb Akhtar…

9 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Empowering Women’s Resilience at COP29

In Pakistan, climate change isn't just a distant concern or the subject of summits; it's…

9 hours ago
  • Op-Ed

Echoes of Discord In IEA

The recent remarks by Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs…

9 hours ago
  • Pakistan

Sindh seeks foreign investment in SEZs in return for incentives

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during his meeting with Australian High Commissioner Neil…

9 hours ago
  • Pakistan

KP cabinet approves amendments to Universities Act, 2012

The provincial cabinet of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa approved amendments to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Universities Act, 2012,…

9 hours ago