Pakistan Railways purchases 58 Chinese locomotives at a cost of US $116.85 million

Islamabad: Pakistan Railways (PR) has purchased 58 Chinese locomotives at a cost of US $116.85 million recently, the PR said in a statement.

The statement added that so far the PR had upgraded around 630 coaches from its own resources to increase revenue of the department and facilitate its passengers for comfortable travel during the last three and half years.

The PR elaborated that 168 coaches were upgraded in 2016-17, 192 in 2017-18 and 260 coaches in 2018-19, while taking several steps to improve financial position of the organisation included starting of new trains with the same rolling stock and human resources.

The PR, the statement indicated, was also planning to repair another 472 coaches which were either out of service or non-functional since long and required heavy or light maintenance.

Giving details about the repair, the PR explained that 39 coaches of PR were under survey of condemnations being over-aged and beyond economical repair.

The PR mentioned said that 205 coaches were available in the workshops under periodical overhauling and repair while around 228 coaches available in Lahore division and in Carriage Factory and C&W Shops held up since long for repairs.

The PR maintained that Pakistan Locomotive Factory, Risalpur had manufactured 102 new locomotives at a cost Pakistani Rs 18.155 billion which includes foreign exchange of Rs 12.339 billion since 1993.

The statement said the factory’s up-gradation plan would be executed in the forthcoming manufacturing plan of locomotives as per the requirement of PR.