[CONGRATS] Pakistan (PakRail) Signed Huge Contract with China's CRRC Tangshan Co,. Ltd. for High Speed Passenger Trains

[Maula Jatt]

This is supposed to be 160 range and they're changing the tracks
Part if Ml-1

 

[Pandora]

I am not sure but business class train's speed is more than 50km. Though i agree with you that current tracks need an overhaul.

They reduced max speed after back to back train crashes when Sheeda Tali introduced new train and higher speed against the advisory of technical staff and managers. Result was catastrophic.

 

[imadul]

ML-1 completion by 2020 or even by now would had been true game changer. It would be providing faster, safer, and economical transportation of passengers and freight and would have created thousands of jobs and huge economic activity. Originally planned $9 billion would have been a rightly invested sum.

Billions were invested on highways but ML-1 should had been first priority along with energy (where again ill planning was the norm and unwanted thermal projects) , and building only critical highways first.

 

[Maula Jatt]

They reduced max speed after back to back train crashes when Sheeda Tali introduced new train and higher speed against the advisory of technical staff and managers. Result was catastrophic.

He was busy "talking" wink wink with tik tokers...

 

[arjunk]

So a 40ft container from Karachi to Lahore costs 140K PkR to sender, if the railways were working this cost would have been way cheaper. Successive governments deliberately or unknowingly killed a great way of logistics and passenger trains. And this has only contributed negatively to overall country, we have more pollution, more vehicles on roads, we need more maintenance fund for repair, cost of goods has increased and there are more frequent traffic jams. It would be good if we get our railways in a better shape.

Driving at night in Karachi his hell with hundreds of giant overloaded trucks trying to murder you. Highways (esp N5) are very crowded because of large numbers of slow and overloaded trucks, some of which tip over or drop all their stuff. All of this could be fixed if we had a decent railway system.

 

[Pandora]

ML-1 completion by 2020 or even by now would had been true game changer. It would be providing faster, safer, and economical transportation of passengers and freight and would have created thousands of jobs and huge economic activity. Originally planned $9 billion would have been a rightly invested sum.

Billions were invested on highways but ML-1 should had been first priority along with energy (where again ill planning was the norm and unwanted thermal projects) , and building only critical highways first.

Problem is China wants to provide commercial loan with interest rates as high as 8-9%. Pakistan wanted either wanted soft loans frim chinese govt or low interest rate on commercial loans hence the stall. Look like stall has broken hence the procurement.

 

[Pandora]

He was busy "talking" wink wink with tik tokers...

Sheeda Bilawal ko kabi dhoka nae day ga aisi tohmat na lagao uss pay.

 

[Mav3rick]

I want to reach Karachi from Lahore in less than 5 hours.

By Train.

In an Executive setting.

Is this too much to ask?

That's actually a fair request, and expectation. However, for that we will need something like the TGV or a Bullet Train. And quite possibly the only viable way to get there is BOT.

 

[bananarepublic]

Ok so are we laying the coffin of our train industry permanently.
Nothing procured locally, No ToT or investment in increasing local industry.

 

[fitpOsitive]

Pak railways should aim for services from Omsk to Gawadar and Karachi. Pakistan definitely needs two more ports: One somewhere near Keti and another one may be Kalat for more capacity.

 

[FuturePAF]

Freight rapidly ship goods from Gwadar port to Xinjiang region. Offering inland Xinjiang goods an opportunity to ship rapidly to rest of the world.

After the Laos HSR and Vietnam Metro success. It is starting to see an ripple effect. Next mega project to unveil will be complete of Jakarta - Bandung HSR.

ML-1 upgrade and a rail link to Xinjiang should be focused first and foremost on freight transport, to help recoup the investment (for Chinese investors) and minimize the burden on the Pakistani taxpayers. A rail route like this would revolutionize freight transport to Central Asia and allow Chinese investors to set up factories in Western China know long they will get raw materials from Africa at an affordable price via this route.

Pak railways should aim for services from Omsk to Gawadar and Karachi. Pakistan definitely needs two more ports: One somewhere near Keti and another one may be Kalat for more capacity.

Once ML-1 is rebuild and Karachi and Gwadar are at capacity, then we should definitely build up other ports along the coast. But until the. We should maximize what we already have to make the projects already started self-sustaining.

 

[FuturePAF]

They reduced max speed after back to back train crashes when Sheeda Tali introduced new train and higher speed against the advisory of technical staff and managers. Result was catastrophic.

More then tracks, signals need to be modernized to avoid collisions and the train lead car; the engine should be build the same way American train engines are build; to absorb a crash with massive shock absorber in the nose.

These modified engines approx. cost double ($7 million versus $4 million) what comparable European engines cost, but the safety factor on tracks shared with freight trains minimize fatalities.

https://scng-dash.digitalfirstmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/LDN-L-METROLINK-0909.jpg

What has changed since the Metrolink crash in Chatsworth 10 years ago

The area is again pristine here on a bend in this part of Chatsworth, a corner of rustic Stoney Point Park and over the fence from a school. Plenty of pain remains, but at least changes were made t…

www.google.com

 

[FuturePAF]

Pakistan should start now, seeking investors to modernize the stations and build large commercial area (or at least links to metro systems to connect with commercial areas) and multi-modal accommodations to house a bus terminal, taxi services, and tourism centers to generate enough revenue to fund the rail construction. Hotels and apartments complexes nearby could also be attractive to overseas Pakistanis and as well as local and foreign tourists that want to visit a city and stay near a public area like a major train station.

For example, IMHO, Islamabad needs a major train station (a multi-modal one that can accommodate long range and commuter buses) of its own, one that is close to the metro bus system that will link travelers to the airport seamlessly (without having to need to move around town in a taxi and be stuck in traffic)

That is why, in order to minimize displacing as many people from their homes as possible, IMHO, they military should hand over the “Central Mechanical Transport and Stores Depot” and turn that into the National Railroad station. A good part of the properties north of Quad-e-Azam International Hospital may need to be taken by Eminent domain (with owners properly compensated), but it will allow a station that can accommodate enough tracks considering the population will probably double in a generation or two (20-30 years) so best to plan for it now. Such a station could also allow commuter trains to run into Rawalpindi, allow new tracks to be laid outside of Islamabad and high speed trains to bypass Rawalpindi to keep speeds as high as possible. On new straight tracks, which would also benefit freight services.

A design like the Tianjin West Rail Station would be a good one for Pakistan to Adopt, but modified to look like Lahore Fort’s Naulakha Pavilion.

Tianjin West railway station - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Tianjin West station has good links with the Metro and seems like a design that can accommodate a lot of passengers and services.

p.s.
160 KMPH if sustained would shorten journey times in Pakistan by more than half, especially if tracks can be grade separated and tracks fenced off from people or animals crossing it, so the train doesn’t need to slow down for these obstacles. 160 kmph is also the limit of one quality of tracks, and to go faster costs a lot more for the tracks, which is why 160 kmph is chosen by many commuter rail systems and “higher speed” rail as in the US.

 

[KaiserX]

Great deal. Fits perfectly in with the upgrade of Pakistans railway track.

Pakistan-China cooperation has not even touched 1% of its full potential. Pakistan is the most pro-china nation today in the world. There are so many opportunities for Chinese investors to make ALOT OF $$$. Id personally love to see a Bullet Train Project from Islamabad- Karachi but running through major population center ie Rawalpindi, lahore, multan, hyderabad. This alone would give access to 100+ Million people to a bullet train many of which would be willing to pay top price to travel on such a platform. It would possibly be the best bang for the buck infrastructure project in Pakistans history and would pay for itself within 7-10 years.

I am surprised why work/research into this isnt being done.

China should also relocate all of its manufactering from India to Pakistan.

 

[imadul]

Problem is China wants to provide commercial loan with interest rates as high as 8-9%. Pakistan wanted either wanted soft loans frim chinese govt or low interest rate on commercial loans hence the stall. Look like stall has broken hence the procurement.

Probably $45-50 billion spended on CPEC as yet. ML-1 the rail line, control network, plus related bridges, underpasses should have been built under CPEC competed projects.
Brand new Train cars and engine procurement is not absolute for railways to function. Carriage factory can be upgraded to make better coaches and locomotives can be bought to be assembled locally even 2nd hand locomotives could be bought.