Railways to privatise four Pindi rail cars

SAFDAR RASHEED

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways administration has planned to privatize four rail cars between Lahore and Rawalpindi and invited the interested parties for biddings in this regard. The trains being privatized were 101 Up Subakraftar, 102 Down Subakraftar, 103 Up Subakhuram and 104 Down Subakhuram, Business Recorder has learnt on Saturday.

The sources in Railway Headquarter told BR that the department had made a set of four trains and any interested operator was required to submit his bid for all the four trains. The last date for submission of bids is Monday, April 16. The application forms are available against a payment of Rs 30,000 but the administration would prefer the bids only from those interested parties which have strong technical and commercial background.

“Railways will also announce the bidding of six Up and Down side trains for privatization in next phase, including Fareed Express (Lahore-Karachi via Kasur-Pakpattan), Shaheen Express (Sialkot-Karachi viaFaisalabad) and Super Express (Malakwal-Karachi viaFaisalabad) after privatization ofRawalpindirail cars,” sources added.

The Railways administration decided in principle that it would fix the benchmark of 80 percent occupancy for rail cars and no bid would be acceptable for below this potential, sources said.

Railways was holding third time the bidding for these trains. Earlier, railways had fixedFebruary 15, 2012as last date for submission of bids but following the demand of interested parties, this date has been extended till March 2.

So far no party has submitted bid.

The sources said that 101 Up and 102 Down Subakraftar operations had been suspended five months ago due to shortage of locomotives and fuel.

Meanwhile, an executive committee meeting was held here Saturday at railway headquarters chaired by Arif Azeem, while member finance Idrees Tarar, GM maintenance and services Naeem Malik, GM operations Junaid Qureshi and others were also present on the occasion. The participants reviewed the agreement clauses signed between railways and Royal Palm Golf and Country Club.