The first consignment of 70 fully built units (CBUs) of high-capacity flat waggons from China is scheduled to arrive at Pakistan Railways on Monday as part of the 820 waggons procurement deal.
According to Abdul Haseeb, a chief mechanical engineer at PR, “the waggons were dispatched on December 25 by the Chinese firm and will arrive at Karachi port on Monday.” He continued, “These are the flat waggons on which containers would be kept and used for the transportation of various items to different parts of the country from Lahore, Karachi, and other significant stations.
According to Mr Haseeb, the Chinese company is also tasked with producing 200 CBUs, including 70 flat, 70 open-top, 40 covered waggons, and 20 brake vans.
According to the contract, the PR is buying 20 brake vans and up to 800 high-capacity waggons. In March of last year, a letter of credit was already opened.
According to numerous contract provisions, 600 waggons must be produced in Pakistan by Pakistan Railways in collaboration with the Chinese engineer at several carriage factories.
The introduction of cutting-edge travel amenities to the general public was made possible with the arrival of 46 high-speed contemporary coaches from China on November 27, 2022. In accordance with the technology-transfer clause in the purchase agreement for the 230 coaches, plans have also been made to begin the production of 184 identical coaches (passenger, luggage, and brake vans).
These coaches have recently finished their test run, and the PR has apparently begun employing them in a variety of express trains on the main line. At 160 km/h and 80 km/h, respectively, modern train carriages and waggons can travel.
“The federal government signed an agreement with China Railway Construction Corporation Tangshan Locomotive and Rolling Stock Company for the provision of 230 high-speed coaches for PR in November 2021 while trying to improve and strengthen long-distance passenger services in the nation.
To deliver 820 waggons, a similar arrangement was also inked with another company, according to a PR source.
A government spokesman claims that the remaining 130 CBUs of waggons will arrive by the end of March this year.
“The production of the 620 waggons under the contract’s technology transfer component will help Pakistan conserve its foreign exchange. The new waggons would generate Rs1.5 billion in revenue annually, he claimed, adding that they could haul goods weighing 60 and 70 tonnes at speeds of 80 and 100 km/h, respectively.