Chinese delegation visits Margalla Station, reviews Green Line Train development

Islamabad (Adnan Hameed): A delegation from the China Media Group visited Margalla Railway Station Islamabad to see the development of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, especially the Green Line Train, as part of the 10 years of celebrations of CPEC. The visit was organized on Thursday to highlight the advanced Chinese technology and expertise used in the railway sector, emphasising the beneficial impact of China-Pakistan cooperation. The Chinese delegation consisting of newsmen and representatives of manufacturing companies conversed with the passengers about the facilities in the Green Line Train, during their brief travel from Islamabad to Rawalpindi. The passengers appreciated the facilities provided in the train, saying it had made long distance travelling particularly between Islamabad and Karachi hassle-free and easy. Speaking on the occasion, a Pakistan Railways official said,”The train comprises two air-conditioned (AC) coaches, one each business class and parlour, two AC standard and two economy class. Most of the people travelling between Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi preferred the Green Line Train due to its better standard, he added. He also said that the train’s schedule of departure/arrival was strictly being maintained. The Railways Minister had directed the officials concerned to reduce its travel time to less than 23 hours which would further improve the confidence of passengers in the Pakistan Railways, he added. The official said it had been decided to provide the best travelling facilities in the Green Line Train, including high-quality food and affordable fare. A separate LCD would be installed on each seat of the AC Parlor coach so that the passengers could enjoy favourite videos while using headphones, he added. He further said that the train during its journey from Islamabad to Karachi and vice versa stopped only at major stations, including Lahore, Khanewal, Hyderabad and Bahawalpur. It had the capacity to run at 160 kilometer per hour, however, “it runs at 90 km per hour from Rawalpindi to Lahore and from Lahore onward at 140 km per hours”. Nine more coaches were added to train in Lahore, the official added. On arrival at the Margalla Railway Station, Divisional Superintendent Inam Ullah and other officials accorded a warm welcome to the delegation and presented them a souvenir. He gave them a detailed briefing about the Green Line Train and also informed about the future plans of Pakistan Railways under CPEC. Ms. Waqar un Nisa, Divisional Transportation officer, Pakisan Railways, Rawalpindi Division, Sohail Javed, Divisional Engineer, Muneeba Mumtaz, Assistant Transportation Officer, Abdullah Assistant Mechanical Engineer were also present during the visit.