Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Due to sheer negligence of Railway authorities more than 163 locomotive of Pakistan Railways (PR) become redundant, while on the other hand Pakistan Railways has worked out a plan to purchase 281 locomotives in the next 8 years.

Under the plan loco motives having capacity ranging between 2000 to 4000 Horse Power (HP) will be purchased that include 161 locomotives of 4000 HP capacity, 75 of 3000 HP and 45 of 2000 HP will be purchased among these 281 locomotives.

According to documents available with Daily Times, Pakistan Railways will purchase 55 locomotives of 4000 HP during 2016-17, 20 locomotives of 2000 HP and 6 locomotives of 4000 HP during 2017-18, 35 locomotives of 4000 HP, 25 locomotives of 3000 HP, 10 locomotives of 2000 HP during 2018-19, 25 locomotives of 4000 HP will be purchased during 2019-20.

As many as 25 locomotives of 4000 HP will be inducted in Railways during 2020-21, 15 locomotives of 4000 HP, 15 locomotives of 2000 HP during 2021-22, 25 locomotives of 3000 HP during 2022-23 and 25 of 3000 HP will be inducted in railways during 2023-24.

Contract agreement for purchase of 55 locomotives of 4000 HP has been signed with GE Company of USA while international tender has been floated for purchase of 20 D.E Locomotives of 2000 HP. Likewise PC-1 for purchase of 6 locomotives of 4000 HP has been sent for approval. Revised PC-1 in respect of 150 locomotives has been approved.

The documents reflected that Pakistan Railways is having 443 engines of 1500-3000 HP capacity presently and 280 among them are functional and 163 are non-functional. More 185 engines will complete their life and become redundant in next 4 years. 76 locomotives out of 443 locomotives have been purchased from GE company, 114 General Motors,, 69 Hitachi, 52 ALCO (USA), 69 Dalian (China) and 63 have been purchased from Ziyang (China).