LAHORE: The special freight train has started operation between Quetta and Zahidan with the help of Iranian Railways after a four-year gap.
Federal Minister for Railways Khwaja Saad Rafique said this while speaking at a news conference at Pakistan Railways headquarters in Lahore. He said that the 24-bogie train will initially operate once in a week and would carry rice and other items to Iran and bring sulphur, coal tar and chemicals to Pakistan, adding, “The number of bogies will gradually be increased to 40.”
The minister said that Iran would provide some 2,000 litres of diesel for the locomotives at subsidised rate of Rs15 per litre. The Iranian government had been requested to supply some 5,000 litres of diesel at subsidised rate so that the operational cost of the train could be minimised, he added.
Rafique said, “Pakistan Railways is ready to operate ECO train from Islamabad to Istanbul through Quetta, Taftan and Zahidan and is awaiting a green signal from the Turkish government. The launch is being delayed because of the upgrading of tracks between Ankara and Istanbul. The Turkish government has offered to bear the operational cost of the ECO train during initial months of its launch, but we declined the offer with thanks and arranged business for it.”
The minister further said that by May-end the railways earned Rs28.67 billion against the budgetary target of Rs28 billion. “We have revised the budgetary target to Rs31bn as we are likely to earn Rs8bn alone from the freight sector against the budgetary target of Rs6.30 billion,” said the minister.
