ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has floated tender for the purchase of 150 locomotives to put the organization on right track.
Currently Pakistan Railways (PR) was operating with 137 locomotives, said an official of PR while talking to APP here on Monday.
The locomotives were purchased from China during Gen (R) Pervaiz Musharraf regime and out of them only 18 were in running condition. He said unfortunately no agreement was signed for providing spare parts to these locomotives.
He said the government has inked an agreement with China for delivery of 175 locomotives and 15 per cent down payment was also paid in this regard. However, he said that no locomotive was received so far.
The minister said that seven project for complete revival of PR were approved by the government which would made it a profitable organization.
He said that all the locomotives were around 25 years old and the PR has not received a single penny from Rs 6.1 billion announced for it. Had the announced fund received at time, PR would able to make operational 100 locomotives, he said.
The minister said the PR was working on rehabilitation of 27 D.E locomotives for which contract has been signed on July 19 and spares parts would be received within 13 months from the date of effectiveness of the contract.
To another question, he said the PR has 1810 bogies coaches and 17,545 wagons. At present, 2,243 bogies wagons were ineffective being under repair in Moghalpura workshop and Hyderabad.
He said that the PR has not executed any contract for manufactured of engines or parts in Ordnance factory during the last four years and it had not technical expertise to manufacture railway engine.
The PR has a locomotive factory in Risalpur where such engines could be assembled.
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