According to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the freshly imported Chinese railway coaches will help Pakistan Railways draw more customers and generate more income.
Speaking at the ceremonial introduction of the imported Chinese coaches into the railways, Sharif said that the Chinese company had given Pakistani coaches with new facilities like WiFi and contemporary chairs among others.
The coaches will travel as part of the Green Line Express train between Islamabad, the nation’s capital, and Karachi, a port city in the south of the country, traveling via important cities in the Punjab and Sindh provinces.
Nine coaches made up the first train on Friday, six of which were brand-new and imported from China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) Tangshan Company in late 2022. The other three were recently reconditioned units brought over from China in 2015.
According to Sharif, adding Chinese coaches to the Green Line service will improve Pakistan’s train system’s reputation and draw commuters.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways, claimed during the ceremony that the country’s floods, which caused significant damage to railways and disrupted several tracks, were the reason the Green Line Express service was suspended.
With the assistance of Chinese friends, Pakistan was able to restart the service, which has already been restored nationwide.
According to Rafique, Pakistan has already received 46 coaches from the contract to purchase 230 coaches from China, and the other coaches would be produced in Pakistan as part of a technology transfer arrangement.