Railways decides to procure high-speed passenger coaches

ISLAMABAD: In an interesting development, Pakistan Railways on Tuesday decided to procure 230 high-speed passenger coaches and 820 freight vans to modernize its system, ARY News reported.

According to a spokesperson of Pakistan Railways, in the first phase, 46 modern passenger coaches will be procured, while, in the second phase, 184 such coaches will be prepared at Carriage Factory Islamabad.

The spokesperson said that passenger coaches will include 80 compartments each for economy and air-conditioned class, 30 parlour cars, and 20 vans each for luggage and brake.

Two hundred freight vans will be imported, while 620 of such bogies will be prepared at the Railways factory, he added.

Earlier on Monday, Pakistan and China had agreed to accelerate efforts for early execution of Karachi-Peshawar Main Line-1 railway project.

The understanding came at a meeting between Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed and Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong in Islamabad. The two sides discussed bilateral relations and railway projects.

On Aug 5, the executive committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the project of Pakistan Railways for upgradation existing Mainline-1 (ML-1) and establishment of dry port near Havelian.

The project was approved at the rationalised cost of US$ 6,806.783 million, on cost-sharing basis between the governments of China and Pakistan, according to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry.