ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways plans to manufacture passenger coaches in the future through “technology transfer” from China at its Carriage Factory in Islamabad.
“To have its passenger coaches, Pakistan Railways is sending engineers and technical teams to China for world-class training,” said Zafar Zaman Ranjha, Chairman Pakistan Railways, in a statement late Friday night, adding that the technology transfer will benefit Pakistan’s economy in the future.
The Chairman further said that for the comfortable travel of passengers, Pakistan is purchasing 230 passenger coaches from China.
According to him, the company (CRRC Tangshan) which is supplying the coaches to Pakistan will bear the expenses of Pakistani engineers and the technical team. “The training of officers will not have any financial impact on the revenue budget of Pakistan Railways,” he added.
In November 2021, Pakistan Railways signed a contract with CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd. to supply 230 high-speed passenger coaches to Pakistan. The passenger trains include 80 economic coaches and 80 air-conditioned standard trains and some lounge-type trains. The trains will run at 180km/h with wide-gauge bogies.
CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd., which was built in 1881, is the first Chinese railway equipment manufacturing company. –Agencies
