ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is planning to rehabilitate as many as 119 old diesel electric locomotives, laying of new and upgrade existing tracks on Public Private Partnership and Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis.
In this regard, bids were invited on two stage procedure for laying new railway tracks and upgrade the existing on different sections from the interested national and international firms, an official in the Ministry of Railways said.
Giving details, he said 50 diesel electric locomotives manufactured by General Electric, United State of America (USA) and 69 manufactured by Dalian Locomotives and Rolling Stock Works, China out of 119 locomotives.
He said Pakistan Railways would upgrade existing Main Line -2(ML-2) from Kotri to Attock City (1254 kms), ML-3 from Rohri to Quetta (384 kms), Spezand (Quetta) to Kohe Taftan (613 kms, Standard Gauge), Shahdara Bagh-Sialkot-Wazirabad (182 kms) and Sangla Hill-Wazirabad (111 kms).
The laying of new tracks were including from Gwadar to Mastung (900 kms Standard Gauge) and from Besima to Jacobabad (360 kms Standard Guage) and laying of additional railway track from Shahdara to Faisalabad and upgradation of existing lien (135 kms), he said.
To a question, he said Pakistan Railways has already floated international tenders for procurement and manufacturing of 230 High Speed Passenger Carriages and 820 High Capacity Freight Wagons.
He said the department has planned the upgradation and modernization for enhancing the productivity of Locomotive Factory Risalpur, Carriage Factory Islamabad, Central Diesel Locomotives Workshop Rawalpindi ad Mughalpura Workshops on joint venture basis.
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