Pakistan - News and Discussion 6

[Naresh]

<b>Gwadar rail link hits snags over terrain issues</b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Lahore – The Rs 70 billion worth mega project to link Gwadar port with the national grid through select destinations in Balochistan might hit snags over steep terrain hampering linking of key cities to the proposed railway line. The 961 kilometres project would emanate at Mastung railway station, which is linked to Quetta and Sibbi. As per the original plan, the line from Mastung station would have touched Kalat before passing on to the following stations namely Surab, Besima, Panjgur, Hashab, and Turbat and onwards to Gwadar port.

As per the available information technical hands in the Railways are advising against taking the track to steep terrain around Kalat and want the same to be struck off the list of stations proposed. They argue that area around Mastung, Besima and especially Kalat is reportedly mountainous with average altitude above the sea level reaching around 1,800 meters. The average gradient for the locomotive movement along the mountainous track is estimated to be 1:66 feet. The terrain being mountainous, there are going to be a number of bridges as well as tunnels along the route.

The cutting off of the Kalat point would mean that the city would be 15 kilometres away from the nearest track. Despite the technical advice against the inclusion of Kalat, the high ups are somewhat reluctant to go ahead with the amendment on the premise that the area where the lines are to be laid out being politically sensitive, the technical advice might not carry through to the ‘Islamabad’ and they might have to include Kalat in the final plan, sources maintain.

It is pertinent to note that all the stations, which would be constructed along the path, will have to manage their power generation issues themselves, as there are no linkages with WAPDA national grid. Provided the project is approved at the highest level and granted the proposed allocation, it would in all probability take around 10 years to be anywhere near the launching time.

The selection of linkage through much of the Balochistan terrain is one of the reasons that despite close proximity to Karachi along the coast line, there is no direct linkage between Gwadar and Karachi, either directly or through any of the stations in Sindh like Hyderabad or Sukkur. The sole connection of the port city to the national railway grid is to go through Kalat. Goods routed on rail from Karachi will be passing through Balochistan to reach Gwadar port. Given the importance of Kalat linkage it would be a difficult decision both at the HQ and the ministry level to go ahead.

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