Pakistan Railways is striving to complete rehabilitation and reconstruction work on railway tracks in order to improve the speed of the locomotives to carry passengers to their respective destinations on time. The infrastructures, including the track and signalling system from Karachi to Peshawar, Main Line-I (ML-I) and doubling of track from Lahore to Peshawar (462.20 Km) are also being revamped, an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP. The official noted that the length of the track was 1,726 kilometres and the department has planned to improve the speed up to 160 kilometres per hour in the project of up-gradation of ML-I under the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC). To improve the speed of the trains and ensure fixed timings, he said the procurement of 230 passenger coaches and 820 Capacity Wagons under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project was also under process. The official said that around 46 Completely-Built-Up (CBU) passenger coaches had been procured up till now while the remaining 184 would be manufactured in the country and the couches would be able to travel at the speed of 160 kilometres per hour. He said that the rolling stock being procured under this project would be capable of running at a speed of 160 km/h whereas the department has a dedicated fleet of 55 diesel-electric locomotives of 4000-4500 HP for freight operation to cater maximum haulage at higher speed. “The installation of Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) system on 48 stations on ML-I to improve the signalling and interlocking for higher speed and safety of train operation,” the official added. To a question, he said that Pakistan Railways was a big organization comprising around 63000 employees and its network was spread throughout the country. The official said the employees were well cared for owing to having several welfare activities, including healthcare facilities through an intensive network of hospitals, dispensaries and child healthcare units. He said that the provision of government accommodation according to entitlement and priority list, staff benevolent funds, benefits and incentives provided through the Prime Minister’s Family Assistance Package policy for deceased employees’ families were part of these facilities.