Revival Of Awam Express Welcomed

PESHAWAR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2023) Chairman Standing Committee Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) on Railways and Dry port, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi Tuesday welcomed decision of Pakistan Railways regarding revival of Awam Express Train from December 20, for passengers travelling between Peshawar to Karachi.

In a press statement issued here, Zia Sarhadi, who also holds the office of Coordinator Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), said the decision of Pakistan Railway was appreciating and would provide passengers from across the country a safe an economical travelling facility from mountainous terrain of Khyber district to port city of Karachi.

Zia said people in Peshawar including business community were facing hardships in traveling to down country due to closure of Khushal Khan Khattak train that plied between Karachi and Peshawar by passing through interior Sindh province and Railway car service between Peshawar and Rawalpindi.

He demanded restoration of services of both Khushal Khan Khattak train and Railway car besides increasing number of sleepers in Khyber Mail train.

Sarhadi also demanded repairing and revival of Peshawar to Landikotal railway track for revival of historic and internationally famed, Safari train service.

In 2008-09, around eleven passenger trains and eight goods trains plied between Peshawar and other parts of the country which were later closed due to different reasons.

He said Khyber Pakhtukhwa was rich in mineral resources whereas the provinces had big business in sectors including marble, gems, soap stone, handicraft, herbal medicine, honey, furniture, carpet, tobacco and match sticks.

The province also have four large industrial estates and all the furnished goods along with raw material is transported between Peshawar to Karachi in trucks as a result of which Pakistan Railways is deprived of revenue in billions of rupees on annual basis.

He urged the railway authorities to give serious consideration to annual revenue loss to public sector entity and take measures for its recovery by relaunching of closed trains.