ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has made operational around 132 D.E locomotives during last seven months to improve its performance by enhancing number of freight and passenger trains.
As per details, of the total five locomotives were rehabilitated, 22 specially repaired, 30 new locomotives were inducted while 75 locomotives were overhauled during the period.
Sources at Pakistan Railways on Monday said at present the total number of operational DE locomotives is 253 while around 189 number of DE Locomotives are non-operational.
The sources said the Gross Earning of the department has been increased by 32.76pc and Working Expenses increased by 13.89pc during 2014.
The deficit/shortfall has witnessed increase by 2.71pc as compared to figures of corresponding period of 2012-13.
The main reasons for deficit are non-availability of locomotives, passenger coaches and rolling stock resulting in decrease of freight and passenger trains.
The other reasons are increase in salary and pension of employees as per government orders, increase in prices of fuel in the past i.e. HSD Oil, electricity and general inflation in previous years and increase in over head charges due to Idle Labour and non-availability of material in Railway Workshops due to financial crunch.
With regard to steps being taken for making Pakistan Railways a profitable organization, the sources said the department has involved private parties in commercial management of four passenger carrying trains and cargo express train.
Right mix of passenger and freight trains, the sources said and added a Freight Transport Company is being established to give top priority to freight transportation for generating revenues.
The other measures being adopted are control over expenditure through computerized payments and pension to eliminate ghost pensioners and rule out possibility of over payments, procurement of new Bogie Oil Tank Wagons and procurement of new state of the art locomotives.
The terminal facilities are also being augmented to curtail loading/un-loading time by introducing modern facilities while Pakistan Railways is in process of up-gradation of its existing tracks on main corridor with collaboration of China.
Existing speed of trains from Karachi to Lahore would be increased upto 160 kms per hour and from Lahore to Peshawar upto 120 km per hour.
Another step is doubling of track from Shahdara Bagh to Lalamusa and improvement of Signaling System on Lodhran - Khanpur - Kotri section and provision of Centralized Traffic Control on Shahdara Bagh -Lodhran section.
Efforts are also on to connect Gwadar port with Railway network and establishment of a new Dry Port at Havelian.
Pakistan Railways is also trying to introduce E-Governance in Pakistan Railways while Vigilance Cell has been re-activated to curb pilferages.
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