Manan Mandokhail, Aziz Marri, Nashad Baloch:
QUETTA, SIBI, JAFFARABAD: Train service between Balochistan and other parts of Balochistan is expected to be restored by the end of this year. Raging floods caused the collapse of an ancient British-built bridge in the rugged mountains of Bolan on August 25.
Divisional Superintendent of Pakistan Railways Balochistan, Nisar Ahmed Khan stated that work on the reconstruction of the bridge that collapsed in the Bolan district of the province started on Thursday. “By December 31st, the collapsed bridge would be reconstructed”, Mr. Khan told Daily Quetta Voice.
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“National Logistic Cell (NLC) has been authorized for the reconstruction of the bridge”, Nisar Ahmed Khan said. The necessary machinery was moved to the area for the reconstruction of the damaged bridge. For the timely construction of the bridge, currently, Mach station has been declared as the station headquarters of the railways, Nisar Ahmed Khan informed.
He said the eleven-kilometer track located between Sibi and Jaccobabad was completely flooded. “This was also one of the main reasons behind the suspension of the train service”, the Divisional Superintendent of Railways stated.
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Britians had established the bridge in early 1880s
Pakistan Railways started working on the reconstruction of the ancient bridge at Hirak area of Bolan district of Balochistan province, he informed. The bridge was built by the British Colonial rulers in the early 1880s in the rugged mountains of Bolan.
However, floods caused the collapse of the ancient bridge on August 25th this year. The collapse also caused the suspension of train service between Balochistan Sindh, Punjab, and other areas of the country.
Pakistan railways have however restored train service between Pakistan and Iran. The DS railways stated that floods had damaged the track in 104 spots between Quetta and Taftan.
