The government will soon float international tenders for the import of 75 locomotives to overcome the shortage, which is causing huge losses to Pakistan Railways.
"We plan to import 75 new locomotives to meet the growing demand for transportation. Tenders would soon be floated internationally," Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said this while talking to Business Recorder here on Monday.
The Pakistan Railways was facing acute shortage of locomotives, especially due to increasing number of accidents, which had not only created scarcity of wagons but also harmed national exchequer.
About 30 accidents happened during last year, which caused losses of around Rs 40 million to the PR, he told. "We have serious problem regarding shortage of locomotives. We will not only import locomotives but also the production of engines locally is also on the cards," he further said.
Th minister had also met with the Iranian ambassador last week in this connection and expressed his desire to import locomotives from Tehran. On the other hand, the controversy over the supply of faulty locomotives by a Chinese manufacturing company is still on. He told this correspondent that the authorities have worked out a plan to manufacture locomotives at Risalpur locomotive factory. "Initially five locomotives would be built on trial basis at Risalpur," he said, adding that it would also help prove the 'productivity' of the factory.
The productivity of the factory has been questioned time and again and opposition legislators have even voiced for shutting down the unit. He said that funds were one of the major reasons behind poor manufacturing.
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