Pakistan Railways (PR) has recently come under severe criticism for closing down services on many popular routes, which railway minister Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has blamed on shortage of funds.
According to recent estimates made by PR, there is a shortage of 50 to 60 locomotives mainly for freight operations. The estimated shortage of coaches is 220 which has been reduced to 139 after cancellation of train services on various routes.
The government recentlyan agreement with a Chinese company, Dongfang Electric Corporation, for 75 diesel-electric locomotives. Raging from 1,500 to 3,000hp, 25 will be “completely built units” and the remaining 50 will be manufactured in the Pakistan Locomotive Factory, Risalpur. However, the official said, materialisation of the agreement depended on availability of funds.
As a long-term plan, a recommendation for 150 diesel-electric locomotives has been made by the Central Development Working Party for Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for replacement of aging locomotives. Moreover, a contract for maintenance of Chinese design locomotives has been signed with the Dongfang Electric Corporation to improve availability and reliability.
Similarly, a $US134.45 million contract for 202 passenger coaches has been signed by the railway administration with the China Machinery Import & Export Corporation. Of these, 52 will be received as “completely built units” and the remaining 150 manufactured at the carriage factory in Islamabad.
A project for renovation of 400 passenger coaches, at a cost of Rs3434 million, is in progress at the carriage factory. Of them, 241 coaches were rehabilitated and put in service by June this year, but “uninterrupted supply of funds” is needed to complete the work.
PAKISTAN
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