The Ministry of Railways has expedited the efforts and approached the federal and provincial departments to recover outstanding billion of rupees dues on account of using its land and other services. “Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique has asked the official concerned to approach the federal and provincial departments for recovering the outstanding amount as soon as possible,” an official in the Ministry told APP here Sunday. About the amount payable against the different departments, the official said that an amount of over Rs 8375 million (over 8 billion) was payable by different departments on account of using its land and various services. The federal departments have to pay an amount of Rs 709.084 million, provincial departments Rs1980.217 million and autonomous and private bodies Rs 5685.736 million, he expressed. Pakistan Railways, he said has upgraded as many as 167 vulnerable un-manned level crossings to manned level crossings, out of which 550 are identified by the department over the entire railway network last year. The relevant provincial government provided the finances to Pakistan Railways for the upgradation of un-manned level crossings in the country, he added. He said that the present government was taking several steps including the up-gradation of unmanned and vulnerable railway level crossings across the country in collaboration with respective provincial governments.