Latest news with #PakistanRailways
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
PR renews bid to outsource 11 trains
The Pakistan Railways has once again initiated efforts to run passenger trains in collaboration with the private sector, issuing a fresh advertisement to outsource operations of 11 trains. The trains selected for outsourcing include Hazara Express, Millat Express, Bahauddin Zakariya Express, Subak Kharam, Thal Express, Rawal Express, Badar Express, Ghauri Express, Ravi Express, Mohenjo Daro Passenger and Faiz Ahmad Faiz Passenger. According to official sources, the technical bids for the outsourcing process will be opened on August 12. Railway officials said that this was not the first attempt to bring the private sector on board for operating these trains as in a previous round, the PR had floated a similar tender for the same 11 trains. However, only two companies submitted bids and that too for Shalimar Express only. No bids were submitted for the remaining ten trains. In light of the lacklustre response, the PR has decided to reinitiate the outsourcing process for the same trains, hoping for broader interest this time around.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
ADB assesses feasibility of financing ML-1 project
Listen to article Experts from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Saturday inspected the Karachi to Rohri railway line, which forms a key section of the long-delayed Main Line-1 (ML-1) up-gradation project. ADB Chief Transport Planner Sangyoon Kim, accompanied by Pakistan Railways' chief engineer open lines, examined the 480-kilometre track. Senior railway officials including infrastructure specialists, divisional superintendents of Karachi and Sukkur and other representatives were also present. The ADB team is expected to meet the chief executive officer of Pakistan Railways, the additional general manager for infrastructure and Chinese experts currently working on the ML-1 project. According to officials, the ADB's fact-finding specialists are preparing a detailed report to assess the feasibility and potential of financing the Karachi-Rohri segment, which is part of the first ML-1 package. The proposed upgrading is vital not just for improving the country's railway system but also to support key economic projects. The completion of this section will ensure smoother and faster transportation of coal from Thar and easier access to strategic mineral resources like those in Reko Diq. The ML-1 project has been in the pipeline for nearly two decades. Its first feasibility report was prepared in the early 2000s but progress remained slow due to the lack of political will and consistent financial constraints. The project regained momentum after the launch of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project in 2015, when ML-1 was included as a strategic infrastructure scheme. Initially, China had shown keen interest in financing the entire ML-1 through concessionary loans. However, in later years, Beijing became hesitant, mainly due to Pakistan's worsening financial health, concerns over loan repayments and delays in other CPEC-related projects. The original ML-1 stretches over 1,872 kilometres, running from Karachi to Peshawar and passing through major cities like Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi. It connects over 90 railway stations and has the capacity to handle more than 75% of passenger and freight traffic. Once completed, the project is expected to transform Pakistan Railways by reducing travel time by half, improving safety standards, increasing train speed up to 160 km per hour and significantly boosting freight capacity. It is expected to turn the country's outdated rail network into a modern, reliable and efficient transport system. Initially, the cost of upgrading ML-1 was estimated at around $6.8 billion. However, due to changing designs, economic instability and currency depreciation, the financial estimate has been revised multiple times. The current estimated cost is around $6.6 billion, though further changes are possible depending on scope adjustments and financing terms. China's reluctance to move forward with ML-1 financing has led Pakistan to approach other lenders, including the ADB. While the ADB has not yet committed funding for the entire project, their recent inspection and meetings indicate a strong interest in exploring different possibilities. Officials believe that if Pakistan is able to present a well-structured proposal and show improved project management capacity, the ADB may step in either fully or partially to fund initial phases. Pakistan Railways views ML-1 as a turning point for the sector's revival, but it is still unclear whether international lenders will step forward at a time when China has apparently pulled back. According to the officials, it will take some time – no one knows how much – before the ADB decides whether to finance the project or not, however, the railways at all levels is trying its best to get financing either entirely or partially, as train derailments in some sections are now becoming a routine, resulting in less passenger traffic.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, Azerbaijan to establish joint working groups
Pakistan and Azerbaijan on Saturday agreed to establish joint working groups (JWGs) aimed at strengthening bilateral connectivity and elevating their relationship into a strategic economic partnership focused on rail and trade infrastructure. The announcement followed a high-level meeting held at the Ministry of Railways, with Minister of State for Railways and Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani in the chair. The session brought together key stakeholders to explore avenues for strengthening cross-border linkages and advancing mutual economic interests. The State Minister reiterated Pakistan's firm commitment to enhancing rail-based trade connectivity with Azerbaijan. He noted that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is actively pursuing a comprehensive strategy for the development and modernization of Pakistan Railways. The railways secretary gave a detailed briefing on Pakistan's railway network, highlighting its existing capacity and outlining prospects for future expansion to accommodate regional freight and logistics operations. During the meeting, both sides also discussed the rail agreement inked between Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, underscoring its significance in advancing regional connectivity. Key officials from various Pakistani ministries and departments participated in a high-level meeting aimed at advancing bilateral connectivity between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, DPM/FM Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov, on Saturday, reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the two countries and expressed satisfaction with the joint efforts to further strengthen the close and fraternal ties. During a telephone conversation, they discussed areas of mutual interest and bilateral cooperation, Foreign Office Spokesperson said in a press release.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan mulls ADB role in CPEC's flagship Main Line‑1 railway upgrade
KARACHI: Pakistan is considering financial support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the long-delayed Main Line‑1 (ML‑1) railway upgrade — part of the China‑Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — as an ADB fact-finding team inspected a section of the track on Saturday, according to an official statement. ML‑1, a $6.7 billion upgrade of Pakistan's 1,687-kilometer Karachi–Peshawar rail artery, is central to CPEC. The overhaul, involving track doubling, advanced signaling and higher-speed trains, is expected to boost cargo and passenger capacity while easing the transport of trade goods to and from the country's southern ports. 'Experts from the Asian Development Bank inspected the Karachi to Rohri railway line today,' Pakistan Railways said in a statement. 'The Bank's Chief Transport Planner, Sangyoon Kim, conducted the 480-kilometer track inspection alongside the chief engineer (open lines) of Pakistan Railways.' 'ADB's fact-finding specialists will prepare a report on the readiness of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, following which a final decision regarding the project's financing will be made,' the statement added. ML‑1 underpins Pakistan's main rail connectivity, carrying a major bulk of the country's cargo and passenger traffic. The project was approved by the Economic Coordination Committee in 2020 but has repeatedly stalled amid funding hitches. Speaking to Arab News, Babar Ali Raza, spokesperson at the railways ministry, said ADB was currently only preparing the feasibility. 'The main financier is China,' he continued. 'The team conducting the inspection is assessing its own feasibility to determine whether ADB can provide financing or not.' 'This would be ADB's own financing,' he added, 'however much they want to contribute.' Pakistan and China have described CPEC as a 'game-changer' for growth. The corridor comprises multibillion-dollar infrastructure initiatives covering roads, energy and rail. The two countries are also striving for regional connectivity, with Pakistan actively pursuing economic diplomacy in the neighborhood and offering its southern ports to landlocked Central Asian countries for global trade.
Express Tribune
6 days ago
- Business
- Express Tribune
Passenger train fares jacked up by 2%
The Pakistan Railways has made a 2% increase in the fares of passenger trains in view of a hike in the price of High Speed Diesel (HSD). This increase in fares will take effect from today, July 18. An undated office memorandum seen by The Express Tribune directed the director IT to ensure the announcement of the new fares on the PR website. The railways has also increased the rate of its freight trains transporting coal by 3% and the trains transporting rock phosphates and fertilizers by 2%. These hikes will apply from July 21. The government on Tuesday raised the prices of petroleum products by up to Rs11 per litre for the second half of July in a regressive step that is likely to exacerbate the economic hardships of people. According to a notification issued by the Finance Division on July 15, petrol price went up by Rs5.36 - from Rs266.79 to Rs272.15 per litre, while the price of the HSD rose by Rs11.37 per litre - from Rs272.98 to Rs284.35 for the July 16-31 period. This hike in the HSD price increased the cost of the PR operation by Rs4 million [39,86,500] per day and around R199 million [119,500,000] per month. On an average, the PR consumes around 350,000 litres of HSD on a daily basis.
