Pakistan Railways (PR) will receive 70 modern freight train wagons today. A PR spokesperson told the media that 130 new carriage vans will be added to the system by March 2023. He stated that adding new wagons to the system will help PR garner more interest in train-based cargo transportation.
A spokesperson added that, under the transfer of technology agreement, Pakistan will make 620 similar wagons indigenously. This will allow the department to save money and create jobs. He also stated that adding new wagons will increase PR’s revenue by up to Rs. 1.5 billion.
The spokesperson said that old cargo haulers can only go up to 80 kilometers per hour and can carry up to 60 tons of weight, while new wagons will go 100 kilometers per hour and can carry up to 70 tons.
A Recent Blunder
A few weeks prior, it was revealed that the PR imported new bogies worth $149 million from China after a two-week-long inspection trip. However, upon arriving in Pakistan, the bogies were found to be non-functional due to faulty brakes.
A media report highlighted, 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.
Later, CEO of Pakistan Railways Salman Sadiq Shaikh responded to this news, saying:
These passenger coaches are fully compatible with the system of Pakistan Railways. The new coaches were thoroughly inspected and de-processed after which they were cleared to run on trial basis. After successful trial, all coaches are now ready to run. We have got these bogies from an internationally renowned company through Transparent Competitive Bidding. The warranty period of these coaches is two years and they will operate for the first six months under the supervision of Chinese experts. The new coaches have been designed keeping in mind the International Railway Standards and International Standards of Safety. The agreement with the company also included a provision for transfer of technology, and this is the reason why our officers and other staff also went to China for training. After the training we are in a position to manufacture such coaches in Pakistan itself.
