Pakistan Railway Projects.

[ghazi52]

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways is planning to renovate and rehabilitate 31 more railway stations across the country for providing better facilities to the passengers.

According to official sources, reconstruction of Bahawalpur, Okara, Sahiwal, Raiwind, Narowal, Nankana Sahib and Hassanabdal stations is already in progress.

The official said estimated cost of the re-signalling project is over seventeen billion rupees covering 31 stations.

“Pakistan Railways had spent Rs 451.256 million on account of repairs, renovation and reconstruction of railway stations during the tenure of the present government,” the official said.

He said the present government initiated the project of up-gradation of rehabilitation of signaling system from Lodhran to Kotri section by getting PC-I approved, amounting to Rs 38,262.991 million.

The official said the work however, was deferred as the same was included in China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC).

In addition, he said the two projects of railway signaling from Lodhran to Shahdara and from Mirpur Mathelo to Shahadpur were inherited by the present government, termed as ‘sick projects’.

He said the estimated cost of the re-signaling project is Rs 17.464 billion covering 31 stations over a section of 433 kilo meters from Lodhran to Shahdara Bagh including installation of ATP system.

The cost of signal rehabilitation project from Mirpur Mathelo to Shahdapur (315 KMs) is Rs 7.855 billion for 23 stations, he added.

He said the present status was that 30 stations out of 54 stations have been completed and opened for traffic while work was in progress on remaining 24 stations

 

[ghazi52]

 

[ali_raza]

i hope one day our railway became world class like it ised to be

 

[ghazi52]

Hopefully .........

 

[JOEY TRIBIANI]

Chaklala has the best railway station . beautiful & maintained.

 

[ghazi52]

Expression of Interest (EOI) For Railway Tracks Upgradation on BOT Basis .

 

[ghazi52]

Railways adds first batch of modern freight locomotives to its fleet

LAHORE: The freight service of Pakistan Railways (PR) has received a boost with the addition of the first batch of ‘heavyweight’ locomotives to its fleet.

Equipped with the latest technology, these fully computerised locomotives of 4,000 horsepower (HP) each can haul up to 3,400 tonnes of load, use less fuel and are environment-friendly.

An agreement to procure 55 diesel-electric locomotives had been signed between PR and GE Transportation Diesel Locomotives in Lahore on June 20, 2015. The first batch of seven locomotives had reached Karachi port in the last week of January this year, put to trial run and inducted into the PR fleet on Sunday.

“After arrival of all the 55 locomotives of 4,000 HP each by July this year, railways will be able to transport double the freight it is carrying at present,” Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique told the media at a ceremony at Lahore Railway Station on Sunday.

He said that 41 of these locomotives would be dedicated to transporting coal from Karachi port to the Sahiwal and Jamshoro power plants, while the remaining 15 would be used for general freight services.

“It is the first procurement for railways during the present regime. It is the first time that the best available machine in the world has been added to the PR fleet through a transparent process,” said the minister, adding that a new business plan for freight service was being formulated to increase the PR income.

To a question, the minister said that a thorough probe being conducted into the recent accident at Nabi Pur level crossing near Hiran Minar station in Sheikhupura would soon be completed.

“Initial reports suggest that the gatekeeper did not act wisely. Had the gatekeeper not wasted time in arguing with the tanker driver and informed the cabin man on time, the accident would have been averted. Examination of the burnt locomotive suggests that locomotive driver Muhammad Latif and his assistant Abdul Hameed had tried their best to apply emergency breaks till the last moment, which helped in reducing the intensity of the collision and saving the lives of passengers,” he said.

Rafique said that the heirs of Muhammad Latif would get financial assistance of Rs7.7 million and those of Abdul Hameed Rs7.4 million. He also announced a compensation of Rs1.2 million and Rs900,000 for the heirs of Latif and Hameed, respectively, besides a plot each worth Rs5 million and job for one person of each bereaved family.

Freight service is the major source of income for railways worldwide and the Pakistan Railways used to earn at least Rs6 billion annually from the operation of eight to 10 freight trains from Karachi to various upcountry destinations daily.

An acute shortage of locomotives in May 2011 had forced the railways administration to suspend all cargo trains from Karachi. Suspension of passenger trains and availability of locomotives resulted in restoration of freight service of four trains daily in December the same year.

However, the freight service witnessed several ups and downs primarily due to locomotive shortage, and the number of freight trains leaving Karachi remained one or two daily.

After about three years, Pakistan Railways got a boost in December 2013 when five freight trains started leaving Karachi for upcountry destinations. At present, this number is around a dozen.

 

[ghazi52]

Chinese Fortune 500 company among bidders for Railways upgrade

BEIJING: After a marked improvement in the country’s security situation, top companies in China that have a proven record of quality and safety are eying to clinch multibillion contracts to upgrade Pakistan’s dilapidated railways infrastructure under the $8-billion ML-I project of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The China Railways Group – a Fortune 500 company known as CREC – and China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), the largest international Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contractor of Asia, are among the four Chinese companies competing for the $8 billion ML-I project.

Pakistan would pick one of them to complete the project in two phases.

During a visit to their headquarters in Beijing, officials from these two companies briefed a group of journalists from South Asia about their future investment plans under the One-Belt One-Road Strategic Initiative. The companies also arranged visits to projects they have completed in China. These include the world’s largest bridges, tunnels, roads and bullet trains.

“We are interested to invest in Pakistan and are looking for appropriate opportunities,” said Xu Meng, Deputy General Manager of Marketing Department of CCCC International. He said that CCCC was one of the four Chinese companies competing for the ML-I project.

“The CCCC is fully capable of building sound railways infrastructure in Pakistan,” said Xu.

“The security is no more a big challenge in Pakistan and the company has not experienced any major accident during its past two years of work,” said Xu. He thanked Pakistani authorities for providing foolproof security to Chinese nationals working on CPEC projects in Pakistan.

“The financing agreement for ML-I project can be signed next month on the sidelines of the OBOR Summit being held in Beijing,” said Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal, on Monday while talking to The Express Tribune.

In September last year, Iqbal had said that China would provide $5.5 billion in a concessionary loan for the expansion and renovation of Pakistan’s main rail link that connects north to south as part of its investment under CPEC. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) would provide $2.5 billion to cover the remaining cost of the project, he had said.

The CCCC was in negotiations with Pakistani authorities on financing and construction model of the ML-I project, said the Deputy GM of CCCC. The CCCC is one of the world’s largest infrastructure companies. It is also the largest international EPC contractor in Asia. In 2016, CCCC was awarded 108 projects worth $16.4 billion under the OBOR initiative, said Li Qingwei, Executive Vice President, CCCC International.

The company is also working on Karakoram Highway-II project of the CPEC and intends to complete it in March 2020.

Pakistan is a central part of China’s transition from a regional to global power. In its vast network of ports, pipelines, roads and railways, Pakistan and its strategic deep-sea port of Gwadar serve as a staging post for China’s economic rise as a global player. The port will extend China’s reach from the Indian Ocean to a number of regions.

The CREC of China Railway Group is one of the world’s largest construction and engineering contractors. It is one of the world’s top 500 enterprises, standing at 57 among Fortune World Top 500 companies in 2016.

The CREC has been pushing forward ML-I Railway Upgrading and Reconstruction Project in Pakistan, said the company’s officials during visit to its headquarter in Beijing. They said that South Asia was one of the most important marketing areas for the CREC.

The company official said that ML-1 Railway Upgrading and Reconstruction project is 1,872 km in length. It is composed of five subprojects, which is ML-1 line and 1,872 km upgrade of Harvey connection line, new line 2, new Harvey land connecting harbour, station comprehensive development and the renovation of railway institute training centre, respectively.

The early stage of the projects is the soft soil treatment, rail replacement, the reconstruction of the bridge culvert tunnel, reconstruction of crossing and vehicles, new lines construction and signal renovation, etc.

The company official said that project would comprise two phases – the short-term to be completed by 2020 and long-term by 2030. The short-term planning is further divided into two stages, which is Phase I to be finished in 2018 and Phase II, to be finished in 2020. The long-term planning is Phase III, with an expected completion from 2025 to 2030, said the company official.

The CREC has set up a Preparatory Group of Pakistan ML-1 railway project that is in charge of the project promoting. At present, the official said, the company is in close collaboration with relevant state ministries and commissions in China and Pakistan to prepare the upcoming video meeting.

At the same time, it has arranged a setting for all contractors to optimise the construction organisation design and exchanged ideas deeply with project design team to learn the progress.

In addition, to be better prepared for the project, our company is negotiating related issues with Pakistan office in a timely manner, said the official.

 

[ghazi52]

 

[Kabira]

Expression of Interest (EOI) For Railway Tracks Upgradation on BOT Basis .

 

[ghazi52]

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Pakistan Railways have agreed on installing the Auto Teller Machine (ATM) at Railway Stations as well as in trains.

The areas of cooperation between NBP and Pakistan Railways can be described as cooperation in various development projects, including development of Railways lands as well.

In the first phase ATM would be installed in Express Trains, besides the number of ATMs would be increased at all Railways Stations.

The existing cash collection by NBP, from passenger and freight trains will become more efficient and better. In this regard another meeting will happen between Pakistan Railways and NBP in third week of April, 2017.

The NBP, being the nation’s bank, since its inception has been providing podium for government initiated programs and services. It has played a lead role in embarking on a number of projects initiated by various federal ministries. The bank underscores significance to endless services and promotes use of technology to serve its customers better.

 

[ghazi52]

Shalimar Express contract goes for Rs 1.8b

LAHORE - The Pakistan Railways (PR) has awarded a two-year contract to S Jamil and Company to run Shalimar Express on highest bidding of Rs1.8 billion.

An agreement signing ceremony in this regard was held at Railways headquarters in presence of Railway Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique. The contract has been awarded for two years on total amount of Rs1.8 billion while an amount of Rs1.9 million will be submitted to the Pakistan Railways in advance. Moreover, the company will make payment of Rs30.43 million weekly.

Around 12 companies had shown interest in running Shalimar Express including Daewoo, Al Baraka, Mazari Group and others but they could not win the project during the bidding. According to the privatisation agreement, the Pakistan Railways will hold trains operational system while private sector will hold train management.

Pakistan Railways was earning Rs660 million annually from privatisation of Shalimar Express train during the last five years. The train that runs between Lahore and Karachi daily was given to private sector in 2012.

Later talking to media, Railways Minister Saad Rafique said that now the losses of the department have been reduced to Rs27 billion which were Rs33 billion in 2013. He said that after upgradation of railway track, trains will run at the speed of 160 kilometre per hour. He claimed that the condition of railways was much better than in 2013. He said Pakistan Railways had introduced e-ticketing system for 40 trains to facilitate passengers in booking their seats from anywhere across the country.

The minister said that with the passage of time the condition of all trains would improve, adding that criticism was good but positive steps should also be appreciated.

 

[ghazi52]

11 new General Electri GEU-40 Locomotives for Pakistan Railways. Leaving USA.

 

[ghazi52]

The Islamabad spur line was recently upgraded.

 

[ghazi52]

Pakistan, China sign agreement for upgradation of Karachi-Peshawar railway track

Beijing: Pakistan and China on Monday signed a framework agreement for upgradation of Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line (ML-1), according to the Radio Pakistan.

The agreement was signed by National Railway Administration of China and Ministry of Railways Pakistan Chinese capital.

Commercial Contract for preliminary design for upgradation of ML-1 Project was also signed on this occasion.

Chinese Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng and Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique were present during the signing of the agreement .