Rehabilitation of rolling stock and track: Railways submits PC-1 to Planning Commission

Ministry of Railways on Tuesday submitted PC-1 to the Planning Commission (PC) for rehabilitation of rolling stock and track, for which Rs 4.7 billion has been earmarked in the bail-out package. According to the PC-1 of the project, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder, the project would be executed from August 2011 to June 2013.
According to the financial plan of this project, Rs 3.6 billion would be required in the current fiscal year while Rs 1.09 billion would be needed next fiscal year. The rehabilitation of rolling stock and track project consists of the following:
1) Re-commissioning of 500 locally manufactured coaches: The objective of the package is to procure the essentially required important spares to undertake re-commissioning of 500 locally manufactured coaches stabled in the workshops for want of important spares, including 20 A.C. passenger (business class), 400 economy class coaches, 50 TL vans and 30 power vans to ensure availability, safety and reliability of passenger services.
2) Special repair of 650 bogie wagons: the proposed bail out package includes procurement of essentially required important spares, including bogie parts and fitment of airbrake kits to improve speed, reliability and availability of bogie wagons, including 300 bogie oil tank wagons and 350 bogie flat container wagons.
3) Track renewal at vulnerable locations to remove speed restrictions and replacement of broken sleepers on the main line. In order to overcome the deteriorating condition of tracks, the following rehabilitation works of tracks and other appurtenant structures have been proposed. Complete Track Renewal (CTR) of 32.85km on main line, rail renewal of 54.46km, sleeper renewal of 46.13km, casual renewal of broken sleepers, replacement of 30 worn out turn outs, replacement/rehabilitation of bridges, renewable of crossings and bridge timbers.
In addition rehabilitation of 100 locomotives at a cost of Rs 6.1 billion would be directly financed by the government and would not be part of the Public Sector Development Programme, therefore this project would not require PC-1, said Saeed Akhtar General Manger (GM) Operation Pakistan Railway while talking to Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
The Cabinet Committee on Restructuring (CCOR) of Public Sector Enterprises on August 5 approved Rs 11.1 billion for PR as a bail out package which would include (i) Rs 4.7 billion for rehabilitation of rolling stock and track for which the CCOR had directed Pakistan Railways to prepare PC-1 to get funds; and (ii) Rs 6.1 billion for rehabilitation of 100 locomotives.
The CCOR decided to provide Rs 6.1 billion through a banking consortium for rehabilitation of locomotives and Rs 4 billion will be provided through re-prioritisation of PSDP for 2011-12 for improvement of tracks and rolling stock. Pakistan Railway is as at a stage where it finds itself unable to run its optimal operations due to declining availability of locomotives. It requires urgent financial assistance to improve its performance and financial health.