Dance
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ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Railways has invited private entities to invest and repair 200 inoperative locomotives with National Logistics Cell being one of the first ones to have a draft agreement with the Railways and is in the process of finalisation.
A senior official on Monday said some projects under the PPP government are in the pipeline as the organisation is offering its track infrastructure to Pakistani private parties for use of their own trains in lieu of payment of Track Access Charges.
Corruption, mismanagement and neglect are driving Pakistan Railways into the ruin as 64 of its 104 trains have been retired in three years, leaving just 40 on track for a country larger than Britain and Germany combined. With expected losses of Rs35 billion in fiscal 2012, the company relies on government handouts of Rs2.5 billion a month to pay salaries and pensions.
The official said an overnight business train with 13 coaches including nine air-conditioned, two power vans, one luggage van and one brake van will run on a daily basis between Lahore and Karachi Cantt. This train is going to be outsourced to a party which will invest Rs225.8 million.
The investments made by the party will become property of the PR upon lapse of the agreement, he said and added, an MoU has been signed to this effect.
About the other steps, the official said luggage vans of six pairs of trains have already been outsourced while outsourcing of luggage vans of three pairs of trains is under process.
The official said contracting out dining cars of all trains is in process which will ensure more revenue. He said some trains and management of main reservation centres at various Railway Divisions have also been outsourced.
Restoration process
A total of 15 branch trains would be restored by Pakistan Railways from December 27 to January 1, 2012 during the first phase of the restoration.
PR officials said that the revived routes include branch trains between Lahore to Faisalabad, Lahore to Narowal, Lahore to Rawalpindi and Multan to Lahore.
They said that five more branch trains would be restored in the second phase as repaired locomotives are being added to the fleet. Revival of 65 branch trains is in the pipeline subject to availability of rail engines.
Railways invites private parties to hop on – The Express Tribune
A senior official on Monday said some projects under the PPP government are in the pipeline as the organisation is offering its track infrastructure to Pakistani private parties for use of their own trains in lieu of payment of Track Access Charges.
Corruption, mismanagement and neglect are driving Pakistan Railways into the ruin as 64 of its 104 trains have been retired in three years, leaving just 40 on track for a country larger than Britain and Germany combined. With expected losses of Rs35 billion in fiscal 2012, the company relies on government handouts of Rs2.5 billion a month to pay salaries and pensions.
The official said an overnight business train with 13 coaches including nine air-conditioned, two power vans, one luggage van and one brake van will run on a daily basis between Lahore and Karachi Cantt. This train is going to be outsourced to a party which will invest Rs225.8 million.
The investments made by the party will become property of the PR upon lapse of the agreement, he said and added, an MoU has been signed to this effect.
About the other steps, the official said luggage vans of six pairs of trains have already been outsourced while outsourcing of luggage vans of three pairs of trains is under process.
The official said contracting out dining cars of all trains is in process which will ensure more revenue. He said some trains and management of main reservation centres at various Railway Divisions have also been outsourced.
Restoration process
A total of 15 branch trains would be restored by Pakistan Railways from December 27 to January 1, 2012 during the first phase of the restoration.
PR officials said that the revived routes include branch trains between Lahore to Faisalabad, Lahore to Narowal, Lahore to Rawalpindi and Multan to Lahore.
They said that five more branch trains would be restored in the second phase as repaired locomotives are being added to the fleet. Revival of 65 branch trains is in the pipeline subject to availability of rail engines.
Railways invites private parties to hop on – The Express Tribune
