Pakistan Railways to Acquire Over 1,000 Passenger Coaches and Wagons

Pakistan Railways is moving forward with plans to acquire 230 passenger coaches and 820 High Capacity Wagons through the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). This initiative aims to enhance train speeds and ensure punctuality.

An official from the Ministry of Railways stated that 46 Completely-Built-Up (CBU) passenger coaches have already been procured, with the remaining 184 to be manufactured locally. These coaches can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h.

He added that Pakistan Railways is making every effort to complete the rehabilitation and reconstruction of railway tracks and enhance locomotive speeds, to ensure passengers reach their destinations on time.

According to him, the infrastructure, including the track and signaling system on the Karachi to Peshawar route, known as Main Line-I (ML-I), along with the doubling of the track from Lahore to Peshawar (462.20 km), is also undergoing a major overhaul.

The official highlighted that the track spans 1,726 kilometers, and there are plans to enhance the speed to 160 kilometers per hour as part of the ML-I upgradation project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“The Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) system is installed on 48 stations of ML-I, to improve signaling and interlocking for higher speed and safety of train operation,” the official added.

The official highlighted that Pakistan Railways, employing around 63,000 staff, provides extensive welfare services, including healthcare, accommodation, and education. Additional benefits for employees’ families, such as monthly grants for widows and incentives for families of deceased and disabled staff, are also part of the welfare initiatives.