The Ministry of Railways has demanded Rs. 39.232 billion for ongoing and new projects under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the next fiscal year i.e. 2019-20.
The proposals were presented before the Senate Standing Committee on Railways, which met with Mohammad Asad Ali Khan Junejo in the chair here on Thursday.
Railways Ministry gave a detailed briefing on projects of Pakistan Railways under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Public Sector Development Programme (PSPD) proposals for 2019-20. The ministry has demanded Rs. 36.206 billion for 36 ongoing projects while Rs. 3.026 billion for 7 new projects.
Railways has proposed Rs. 5.118 billion for rolling stock availability projects, including Rs. 1.424 billion for locomotives and Rs. 3.69 billion for carriage and wagons.
The Railways further proposed Rs. 29.132 billion for infrastructure development, including Rs. 26.44 billion for tracks and Rs. 2.69 billion for signaling. The Railways has also proposed Rs.. 1.522 billion for business development and Rs. 432.836 million for governance related projects.
The committee was further informed that nine projects are going to be completed by June, 2019. Railways proposed Rs. 1 billion for procurement/manufacturing of 75 new locomotives, Rs.. 25 million for special repair of 150 DE locomotives and Rs. 400 million for rehabilitation of 300 traction motors.
The committee endorsed the demand of Rs. 39.232 billion for Railways under the PSDP for 2019-20.
The committee was further informed that phase-1 of up-gradation of Pakistan Railways’ Main Line-1 and establishment of dry port near Havelian projects under the CPEC would be presented to the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) in March 2019 as the preliminary design is almost complete.
The estimated cost of phase-1 $3.4 billion which comprised on up-gradation of Pakistan Railways’ Main Line-1 and establishment of dry port near Havelian projects.
China and Pakistan are expected to reach an agreement on ML-1 in next couple of days, said Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed while briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Railways. The estimated cost of up-gradation of ML-1 and dry port is $8.2 billion which would be completed in five years in two phases.
Briefing the committee Railways officials said that CPEC project of Railways will consist on early harvest—ML-1 up-gradation and establishment of dry port, Mid-term—establishing new rail link from Gwadar to Mastung and Besima to Jacobabad and Long term—establishing new rail link from Havelian to Khunjrab (China border).
With the up-gradation of ML-1, train speed will increase from the current 65-105 km to 120-160 km, line capacity from 34 to 171 trains each way per day, freight volumes from 6 to 35 millions toms per annum by 2025, railway share of freight transport volume from less than 4 percent to 20 percent.
