Pakistan Railways: News & Updates

[Muhammad Omar]

ZCU3Os in China ready to deliver to PR

 

[Muhammad Omar]

 

[Muhammad Omar]

PR's anti-encroachment drive

Responding to an ANP Senator's query, the railways ministry informed the upper house the other day that the anti-encroachment campaign launched in February 2012 under the Supreme Court orders is moving apace. Some 3,500 acres of PR land illegally taken over by various government departments and private individuals has been retrieved while 4,301.65 acres remain occupied. Out of these 540 acres and 251 acres are under use of civilian departments and defence organisations, respectively, in different parts of the country. Rest of the 3,510 acres of land is still in private hands. According to Pakistan Railways authorities, an urban sector survey is under way to identify all such encroachments by June next year. Contrary to a general impression though that the PR land is occupied mainly by the poor to build slum dwellings along the railway tracks, powerful commercial interests are involved in occupying a large chunk of it comprising choicest pieces of real estate.
The poor people who built slums along the railway lines cannot simply be handed eviction orders. The government needs to formulate a proper policy - so far missing - either to offer these people alternative housing or to regularise the existing 'katchi abadis' wherever possible. The more challenging part would be to deal with those who have occupied PR lands for commercial purposes. In some instances, the original land grabbers sold the land to real estate developers who in turn put on sale housing/commercial plots and residential apartments to be bought by unsuspecting prospective homeowners, like in the case of the 'Moon Garden' residential plaza in Karachi's Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighbourhood that the PR wanted to retrieve as part of its ongoing anti-encroachment drive, but found itself facing a public outcry and court stay orders.The entire track of defunct Karachi's Circular Railway is encroached upon by land mafia. In the case of Gulshan-e-Iqbal's various blocks starting from Nipa bridge down to Sir Shah Suleman Road in particular shanties erected close to or even over tracks are regularly rented out to economic migrants mainly those from southern Punjab. Not only has 'China-cutting' resulted in shanties or 'juggis', it has also given birth to rows and rows of plush bungalows. Equally if not more difficult would be to force out those who are using these lands for highly lucrative commercial projects, such as hotels, clubs, restaurants, even hospitals in urban centres and for agricultural activities in rural areas. They would want to pull all the strings to get their enterprises 'regularised'.
Then there is the vital question, what the PR intends to do with so much land once it succeeds in getting rid of encroachers? As per a new plan, some of it is to be utilised to modernise existing railway stations and some saved for future expansion. The rest is to be auctioned out under a leasing scheme for business activities and the accruing revenue spent on improving the PR's services. This makes sense. However, if the past is any guide, there is a danger of this public property getting lent out on throwaway prices to favoured persons or entities. There is at least one major example of this in Lahore where 141 acres of PR land was handed to a politically influential private firm on a 49-year lease in violation of settled principles. The case, better known as a scam, remains under litigation. Hopefully, lessons have been learnt from that example. Transparency must be observed and settled principles strictly followed while auctioning leasing deals to private parties.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Risalpur Locomotive Factory

Railways promoting indigenous manufacturing of coaches

The Pakistan Railway has finalised a PC-I for procurement of 250 coaches out of which 186 will be manufactured in its Carriage Factory Islamabad (CFI).

The PC-1 has been forwarded to planning commission for approval. A tender to procure 800 high capacity hopper wagons would soon be floated, out of which 595 wagons will be manufactured at CFI, an official told APP.

He said that Pakistan Railways’ annual production capacity of CFI was 120 coaches and during last two years it had produced, rehabilitated and repaired 225 passenger coaches in the factory – 132 during 2013-14 and 93 during 2014-15.

Similarly, during previous two years, the number of productivity was 24 coaches in 2011-12 and 40 coaches in 2012-13, the official added.


Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approves 5.86 billion rupees for Pakistan Railways.


The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council has approved 15.86 billion rupees for Islamabad Safe City Project.
The committee, which met with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in the chair in Islamabad today, also approved 5.86 billion rupees for Pakistan Railways.
Approval was also given for purchasing twenty railway bogies and five hundred and eighty-five hopper vans for carrying coal.



80 % work on innovative e-ticketing system completed to facilitate railway passengers: Saad

ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (APP): Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique on Wednesday said work was in progress to introduce an innovative e-ticketing system to facilitate millions of passengers travelling through this mode of communication. Around 80 percent work on this system has been completed and expected to be operationlized by June next year, he said this at a briefing session, organized here by Pakistan Institute of Legislative and Development and Transparency (PILDAT) in connection with launch of a report entitled Pakistan Railways: A Performance Analysis.

 

[razgriz19]

The manager of Track and Structure department of Toronto Transit Commission Subway is a former Pakistan railway engineer. Everything to do with track maintenance and engineering falls under him and about 1000 or so people as well

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Report on Pakistan Railway

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1645005612442244

 

[The Sandman]

No matter how much u hate him but Khawja Saad Rafique is bringing PR back on track

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

Mr Khawjas has done good job with Railways
Not excellent (it would be excellent if we bought 100 Engines from GM) but satisfactory effort

• Railway started the good / material shipment
  
• Railways started the passenger trains
• New Engines have been integrated into system
• Some gradual fixing of old engine is being done
  
• Orders have been placed for more engines
  
• Stations are getting a bit better service and customers are getting trains on time

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Mr Khawjas has done good job with Railways
Not excellent (it would be excellent if we bought 100 Engines from GM) but satisfactory effort

• Railway started the good / material shipment
  
• Railways started the passenger trains
• New Engines have been integrated into system
• Some gradual fixing of old engine is being done
  
• Orders have been placed for more engines
  
• Stations are getting a bit better service and customers are getting trains on time

55 on Order First Delivery in the end of 2016

here's the Link too

Pakistan Railways orders GE locomotives - Railway Gazette
Pak Railways inks accord with General Electric USA to procure 55 locomotives

 

[Muhammad Omar]

 

[Muhammad Omar]

PILDAT report on the performance of Railways

In 2015-16 Gov set the target of 35 Billion Rupees but it's already 37 billion rupees According to Khawaja Saad Rafique in Duniya news Program

 

[ghazi52]

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[MKC]

For me projects on ML-1 & ML-3 upgradation seems possible in near future as cost for these is much high & doesn't along big cities, Havelian-Khunjerab can't be completed before 2030 even if it started today because of terrain.

 

[ghazi52]

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Lansdowne and Ayub Railway bridges, standing parallel at River Indus between Rohri and Sukkur.

.

 

[The Sandman]

Pakistan Railways orders 800 wagons from CRRC

Jan 14th 2016,

PAKISTAN Railways (PR) has awarded CRRC Corporation subsidiary Jinan Railway Vehicles Equipment Company (JRVEC) a Rs 3.92bn ($US 37.5m) contract to supply 800 hopper wagons.

Under the contract, which was signed by representatives of PR and CRRC at a ceremony at the Ministry of Railways in Islamabad the first 205 wagons will be manufactured by JRVEC in China, while the remaining 595 units will be assembled at PR's Mughalpura Locomotive Works in Lahore.

Deliveries will start later this year and the 100km/h wagons will be used on coal traffic to power stations in Karachi and Qadirabad.

Railways minister Mr Khawaja Saad Rafique says a tender for a further 585 hopper wagons will be issued soon.
Pakistan Railways orders 800 wagons from CRRC | International Railway Journal