The government has allocated Rs. 32, 648.036 million for executing 36 new and ongoing projects of the Railways Division in the current Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), said a railways ministry official. About Rs. 26,648.04 million has been earmarked for 32 ongoing projects, out of which Rs. 15974.50 million has been reserved for procurement and manufacturing of 820 High Capacity Bogie Freight Wagons and 230 passenger coaches, he said.

Similarly, an amount of Rs 1,000 million has been earmarked for the replacement of obsolete Signal Gear from Lodhran-Multan-Khanewal-Shahdara Bagh mainline section of the Pakistan Railways, he added. The railways ministry official said an amount of Rs 6,000 million had been kept for four new schemes, out of which Rs 5,000 million would be utilized for upgradation of Pakistan Railways’ existing Mainline-I and establishment of a dry port near Havelian (2018-22) Phase-1, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The government has also allocated Rs. 2300 million to repair about 100 diesel-electric locomotives, the railways ministry official said. An amount of Rs 600 million would be utilized for the replacement of track machines and Rs 200 million for conversion of the braking system from vacuum brake to air brake, he added.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk