Re: Quetta-Peshawar direct railway service approved
The Journey time between Lahore - Rawalpindi has been reduced to 3hrs 30 minutes. by introducing Non-Stop Islamabad Express Train w.e.f August, 2004. Similarly the journey time between Faisalabad - Karachi has been reduced to 13hrs 30 minutes by introducing Millat Express train on 9th November, 2004.
Re: Quetta-Peshawar direct railway service approved
Silly Billy
Are you an employee of PR? What happened to defective locomotives imported from China and stopping their further supply? Coaches from China also caused great trouble due to infringement between coaches and platforms. Ultimately millions and millions spent to modify the platforms. How much Railway lost in 2004?
FARID
Re: Quetta-Peshawar direct railway service approved
Pakistan Railways to undertake Rs60bn rehabilitation plan
By Khaleeq Kiani
ISLAMABAD, July 3: The federal government has finalized a major rehabilitation plan for the Pakistan Railways to improve the entire main railway line from Karachi to Rawalpindi and Lahore to Faisalabad. An amount of Rs60 billion would be utilized over the next five years to improve various sections of the railway line as more than 80 per cent bridges of the Pakistan Railways at present were overage and could lead to a major disaster any day. About 11,700 bridges out of the 14,570 bridges have completed their designed life. About 65 per cent or 5,042 kilometres out of the 7,879-km track is overage and that too poses a threat.
“We are dreaming of making Pakistan as the regional hub of trade and economic activities by the next decade through rail and road networks but major portion of railway tracks and bridges are overage, its signals and telecom system is obsolete and it is in overall deficit,” an official said. A number of branch lines would also be upgraded and rehabilitated to make them fit for a sectional speed of 100 kilometres per hour. Under the plan, all railway manufacturing and repair units like carriage factory, locomotive factory, sleepers factories, Mughalpura shop and steel shop would be converted into autonomous units with diversifications of activities. The new measures would increase the quantum of passenger and freight traffic by 18 per cent and 76 per cent, respectively, by the end of 2010. With estimated annual growth rates of 12 per cent and 3.3 per cent for freight and passenger traffic, respectively, Railway is projected to carry 10 billion tons kilometre of freight and 28 billion passenger kilometre of passenger traffic by the year 2010.
The track between Khanewal to Raiwind would be doubled at a cost of Rs5.7 billion while Mirpurkhas-Khokhrapar rail line would be converted from Metre Gauge to Broad Gauge at a cost of Rs700 million. Similarly, an amount of Rs12.7 billion would be utilized to procure, manufacture and assemble around 75 diesel locomotives while 1,000 freight wagons would be procured at a cost of Rs4.8 billion. Another 150 passenger coaches would be procured at a cost of Rs6 billion. The Lalamusa-Shadara and Khanpur-Shahdara track would be upgraded at a cost of Rs4.8 billion, while Lahore-Faisalabad track would be doubled at a total cost of Rs3.8 billion. Two major projects have been planned for Gwadar port at a cost of Rs14.5 billion. These include Rs2.5 billion setting up of a railway yard and railway linkage from Gwadar port to container yard and rail link to Gwadar. Besides, a Rs15 billion project for upgrading Rohri-Quetta-Taftan rail link has been taken in hand. It is envisaged that the Pakistan Railway’s will operate on commercial lines, with the government meeting the full cost of public service obligations. The railway infrastructure, especially that on the main corridor, would be rehabilitated and a culture of scheduled freight trains introduced, with priority to bulk movement of goods over long haul. The private sector would initially be allowed to operate freight trains on payment of track access charges.
Re: Quetta-Peshawar direct railway service approved
Silly Billy,
Above message is incomplete. Read the current status of PR.
PR short of budget target
By Zaheer Mahmood Siddiqui
LAHORE, July 7: The Pakistan Railways could not achieve its budget target for 2004-05 and had a shortfall of over Rs838 million, it is learnt. Sources told Dawn on Thursday that in spite of enhancing passenger fares and freight charges in view of raise in POL rates, the railways had a shortfall of Rs498.097 million in passenger and Rs340.800 million in freight earnings during 2004-05.
The earning remained Rs9001.903 million in passengers and Rs5059.200 million in freight sectors against the targets of Rs9,500 million and Rs5,400 million, respectively.
“Ironically, the budget target for the 2005-06 fiscal year has now increased to Rs1,000 million for passengers and Rs6,500 million for freight sectors,” they said.
Admitting the deficit, officials blame the government for landing the railways into hot waters.
“Till the late 70s the railways had been in profit when the government’s tilt shifted to road sector. Maximum investment was made in the sector at the expense of railways.
“During the Afghan war, a state-owned company had been launched which used to load goods from the railways sheds in major cities. Beginning of container traffic by road caused immense loss to the freight business of railways.”
According to them, 80 per cent plans had been made to develop the road sector and 20 per cent for the railways during 1998-2003.
During 1995-60, they said, some 68 per cent plans for railways and 32 per cent for the road had been materialized. The government had also withheld in 1995 the money which it used to inject into the crippling railway sector to get it out of its deficit that had soared to Rs20 billion.
In 1996-97, a plan had been chalked out to extend terminal facilities and line capacity at various goods offices to generate more earning but the proposal was set aside for want of funds.
Officials termed the bifurcation of the railways during Nawaz Sharif’s regime into three sectors —- infrastructure, passenger and freight —- an attempt to paralyze the PR administrative structure. When the military took over in 1999, it had launched with Rs40.8 billion a rehabilitation plan only in core areas to get the railways out of financial deficit.
They cited the late running of trains due to frequent failures of locomotives, defective signals system, short composition of coaches, some temporary and some permanent engineering restrictions on main and branch lines as reasons for decrease in the number of passengers.
“Lack of facilities to load wagons and non-availability of terminals at traffic originating station, short time capacity in goods sheds, insufficient number of wagons, utilization of goods train locomotives for passenger trains in transit led to decrease in freight earnings.
“Thousands of wagons are standing in various yards, awaiting repairs at the Mughalpura Shop.
“The railways had recently got Rs60 billion for its rehabilitation but a plan had been finalized to utilize only Rs13.5 billion to procure 75 locomotives, 1,000 freight wagons and 150 passenger coaches while the rest would go for the improvement of track, bridges, signals and telecom system,” they said.
“What would be the utility of the improved track if we don’t have enough locomotives, freight wagons and passenger coaches?,” the officials asked.
Re: Quetta-Peshawar direct railway service approved
thats great then u ll achieve one more feat ie constructing the worlds 1st longest rail bridge on the ocean.whoa go ahead nuke india:D