ISLAMABAD (November 17 2009): The Ministry of Railways and Government of China have principally agreed to form a consortium to prepare the feasibility of planned train service between Pakistan and China as a joint venture between the two countries, said Railways Minister Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.
"Both the countries are seeking for a soft term loan from some international organisations for laying a railway track between the two countries," Bilour said this talking to APP. The minister said both the countries are going to execute a joint venture for a freight train service that would help upgrade the passenger train service, keeping in view the needs of the people, particularly the business class.
"The rail link with China would boost trade ties between the two countries," said the minister. The preparation of the feasibility study is to be followed by the designing and PC-1 of the project. The feasibility study will cover a 750-kilometer section between Havelian and 4,730-meter-high Khunjrab crossing over Mansehra district and the Karakoram Highway.
Havelian is already linked with the rest of the rail network in Pakistan. Chinese will lay some 350 km of track within their own territory from Kashgar terminus up to the Khunjerab Pass, linking Pakistan with China's rail network, largely following the route of the Karakoram Highway.
Pakistan Railways and China's Dong Fang Electric Supply Corp signed an agreement for establishing a rail link between Havelian and Khunjerab. In this regard, the railways minister had also paid a week-long official visit to China and discussed the various means to execute the project within minimum possible time to cope with the growing load of freight and passengers.
He said during China visit, the project was discussed thoroughly and apparently no hiccup seems in the execution of the project. "For the successful execution of the project, a six-member committee has been constituted comprising each three members from both Pakistan and China," he said. He said that initially they would be planning to establish a rail link with China and at later stage they could connect Torkhum with Jalalabad from where they could go into Central Asian states up to Russia.
"Both the countries are seeking for a soft term loan from some international organisations for laying a railway track between the two countries," Bilour said this talking to APP. The minister said both the countries are going to execute a joint venture for a freight train service that would help upgrade the passenger train service, keeping in view the needs of the people, particularly the business class.
"The rail link with China would boost trade ties between the two countries," said the minister. The preparation of the feasibility study is to be followed by the designing and PC-1 of the project. The feasibility study will cover a 750-kilometer section between Havelian and 4,730-meter-high Khunjrab crossing over Mansehra district and the Karakoram Highway.
Havelian is already linked with the rest of the rail network in Pakistan. Chinese will lay some 350 km of track within their own territory from Kashgar terminus up to the Khunjerab Pass, linking Pakistan with China's rail network, largely following the route of the Karakoram Highway.
Pakistan Railways and China's Dong Fang Electric Supply Corp signed an agreement for establishing a rail link between Havelian and Khunjerab. In this regard, the railways minister had also paid a week-long official visit to China and discussed the various means to execute the project within minimum possible time to cope with the growing load of freight and passengers.
He said during China visit, the project was discussed thoroughly and apparently no hiccup seems in the execution of the project. "For the successful execution of the project, a six-member committee has been constituted comprising each three members from both Pakistan and China," he said. He said that initially they would be planning to establish a rail link with China and at later stage they could connect Torkhum with Jalalabad from where they could go into Central Asian states up to Russia.
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