India, Pak rail officials to discuss ways to boost bilateral trade through rail route

Lahore, June 16 : A four-member Pakistan Railways' delegation has reached India to hold three-day talks, beginning tomorrow, with the Indian Railways authorities to increase frequency of freight trains to boost bilateral trade.

The Pakistani delegation consists of Director Operations Shafique Ullah Khan, Chief Operating Superintendent Muhammad Saleem, Chief Marketing Freight Syed Imtiaz Hussain and the Chief Mechanical Engineer Carry and Wagon.

The railway officials of India and Pakistan holds this meeting every year to discuss operational matters and the last meeting was held in Pakistan in 2007, reported The News.

According to official sources in Pakistan, during the talks the officials of both the sides would discuss operational matters, "but the major focus would be laid on the proposal of a possible increase in the frequency of freight trains to boost bilateral trade as both the Indian and Pakistani government had been making efforts to boost bilateral trade ties between two countries".

An increase in the capacity of the passenger trains running between the two countries on daily basis and extension of freight trains beyond Lahore and Amritsar would also be on the agenda, the sources said and added that there was a proposal to increase freight train frequency to four from the present two per day.

The two sides would also discuss a proposal to run freight train on the Jodhpur-Munnabao-Kokrajhar section and there was a likelihood that India and Pakistan would agree to increase frequency of Thar Express, passenger train.

Both the countries would also discuss the measures which could be taken to provide more facilities to the passengers, said the sources.

ANI