Pakistan Railways set to upgrade fleet with new coaches, high-capacity wagons

WEB DESK: Pakistan Railways is gearing up to enhance its operational capabilities with the procurement of 230 passenger coaches and 820 high-capacity wagons under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP). This initiative aims to boost train speeds and ensure punctuality.

So far, 46 Completely Built-Up (CBU) passenger coaches have been acquired, with the remaining 184 coaches set to be manufactured domestically. These coaches will be capable of travelling at speeds of up to 160 km/h.

A Ministry of Railways official highlighted the department’s efforts to upgrade the railway infrastructure, including the rehabilitation and reconstruction of tracks and improvements in locomotive speeds.

“Pakistan Railways is committed to completing these upgrades to ensure passengers reach their destinations on time,” the official said.

The official further mentioned that significant work is underway on the Main Line-I (ML-I) from Karachi to Peshawar, including the doubling of the track from Lahore to Peshawar (462.20 km). This project, part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), aims to enable trains to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h over the 1,726-kilometre stretch of track.

The official also noted that the rolling stock being procured under this project is designed for speeds of 160 km/h. Additionally, Pakistan Railways has a fleet of 55 diesel-electric locomotives, each with a power range of 4,000-4,500 horsepower, to support faster and more efficient freight operations.

To enhance safety and signalling, the Computer Based Interlocking (CBI) system has been installed at 48 stations along the ML-I, ensuring higher speeds and safer train operations.

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