Pakistan Railways (PR) plans to resume Green Line Passenger Train operations from Islamabad to Karachi in mid-January.
Citing an official PR source, a media report states that the trains will have two A.C. parlors, five A.C. business coaches, six AC standard coaches, and four to five economy class coaches.
The decision was made as per the directives of the Minister of Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique. The minister also directed the official in charge to reduce the travel time of the Green Line from Lahore to Karachi to less than 20 hours.
The source further stated:
It will aim to provide the best travelling facilities including high-quality food and keeping the ticket price affordable. Besides, a separate LCD will be installed on each seat of the AC Parlour to let passengers enjoy movies or videos through headphones.
A $149 Million Blunder
PR has been publicizing its plans to introduce new, high-tech, and high-speed passenger bogies to facilitate the people. However, the latest media report states that these bogies were imported from China for $149 million and are unable to run.
The brakes on these bogies have a critical mechanical fault. Due to the lack of pressure, the brakes cannot function properly at any speed.
The report adds that the government had sent 88 Pakistan Railways (PR) officers to China to inspect the bogies. However, despite a two-week visit, none could point out this critical mechanical fault.
It also stated that each officer that went to China, received $100 per day for their duties, which adds up to $123,200 or nearly Rs. 2.79 crores based on the current exchange rate.
Chief Mechanical Engineer Mohammad Haseeb said that there are some technical issues in the bogies that are being rectified and maintenance is being done to make the bogies fit to function again.
