GE to supply Railways with 20 locomotives

Deal aims to enhance operational capacity of state-owned entity in the north

ISLAMABAD: General Electric (GE) has reached an agreement with Pakistan Railways (PR) for supplying 20 FDL C20EMP locomotives, which are sanctioned for use in the mountainous northern regions, according to a press release issued by the US giant.

While little information was provided on the salient features of the deal, the press release did shed some light on the utility of the new purchases for PR and the benefits it can have for Pakistan’s transport sector. The locomotives to be supplied are light weight with 2,000 horsepower engines, allowing them to traverse mountainous terrains with steep gradient tracks easily.

With work on the Islamabad-Muzaffarabad branch line expected to commence soon, the new locomotives will augment PR’s current fleet in transporting passengers and cargo across regions not accessible by rail till now.

In the meantime, however, the locomotives will be used between Karachi and Lahore, with Peshawar and Quetta to be added later, according to the press release.

“We continue to make great strides towards reaching the transportation goal as part of the country’s Vision 2025 plan,” said Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique. “Modernising rail transportation and improving regional connectivity are critical components of the government’s plan, and we’re confident that our relationship with GE will help achieve these goals.”

The new agreement is part of the government’s goal of increasing the share of rail in transport from 4% to 20%. The formalisation of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has necessitated long overdue improvement of rail infrastructure to enable cheaper and quicker transport of raw materials and industrial inputs.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2017.

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