Dilapidated railway track of Khyber Safari awaits govt attention

The Peshawar to Torkham Khyber Safari railway track is dilapidated due to lack of proper care.

The track of the Khyber Safari train connecting Peshawar to Torkham Border via the Khyber Pass was laid between 1920 and 1926. The 42 km long track was laid by digging 34 tunnels in the mountains.

92 bridges were constructed on this track from Peshawar to Torkham Border. The major part of this track was destroyed in the 2007 torrential rains.

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There was a golden period when the Khyber Safari train carrying international and local tourists reached Khyber District every week. However, due to the devastating floods and rains of 2007, the major part of the historical railway track was destroyed and due to the poor law and order situation, the train service was suspended.

There are many tourist and historical places in Khyber district located at the junction of Peshawar. According to the provincial government’s tourist vision, the construction and maintenance of train track can increase Pakistan’s trade with Afghanistan and central Asia countries. However, no decision has yet been taken by the provincial government regarding track maintenance.

While the provincial government claims that in view of the federal government’s declarations, it is active to promote tourism throughout the province. However, no practical measures are being taken in this regard. The latest example is the poor condition of railway track, which has closed a door of tourism. The government should restore this track as soon as possible so that the revenue can be collected from tourism.