Pakistan Railways on Friday added another 10 newly built coaches in its fleet, imported from China. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said that these new coaches would help Pakistan Railways to achieve progress.
The minister said that these coaches have the capacity to run at the speed of 160 km per hour but due to the dilapidated track it would run at 120 km per hour.
He said that every government behaved discriminatory treatment to Pakistan Railways otherwise the railways could have turned into profit-oriented entity.
“If the government would approve these seven projects of Pakistan Railways in 2009, the organization would have earn profit,” the minister said.
Bilour said that during the last five year, not even a single locomotive was added to the system. The minister said in 2008, an agreement for purchase of 75 locomotives was signed with China but it remained confined to words.
The minister said most of the MNAs have spent billion of rupees in their constituencies but Pakistan Railways received not even a penny for its uplift.
He said that the government has allocated Rs 70 billion for Benazir Income Support Programme but railways was totally ignored. Replying to a question, the minister said three projects were being run on public-private partnership including Business Train, Shalimar-1 and Shalimar-2.
The minister said that Pakistan Railways was carrying only one percent of the freight, adding that nine freight trains were running per week that was insufficient. Around 20 locomotives are required to increase one percent of the freight operation.
The minister also announced Rs 3000 cash award to the every employee of the Carriage Factory. To another question, the minister said that the Awami National Party would contest the general elections independently and would think about the coalition after polls. He said that there is no future of Tehreek-e-Insaf in KPK and would win hardly single seat from Punjab. Chairman Railways and other official of the ministry, division office and Chinese officials were also present on the occasion.
Pakistan Railways will receive 202 coaches against a cost of around Rs 16 billion to improve its operations and facilitate the passengers. Out of the 202 coaches of various types, Pakistan Railways has received 55 coaches in Completely Built Unit condition those are being utilized with different trains plying across the country.
