ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways will introduce engineering diplomas and degrees in educational institutes for achieving self-sufficiency in the important sector of the communication.
“The efforts in this regard were being made by the present government,” an official in the Ministry of Railways told APP. He said there were no regular specified training courses for the Railway employees abroad, however, on basis of regional cooperation, some sponsored courses were offered from time to time. The ministry was considering sending technical staff abroad on training on its own expenses so that the required skills could be attained during this year, he added.
He said the present government had now targeted upgradation of 21 railway stations at a cost of Rs.1956 million during next three years. “Modernization and beautification of the stations will be exemplary,” he added.
The government, he said, was utilizing all available resources to make Pakistan Railways a modern and reliable mean of travelling. Pakistan Railways had brought a paradigm shift in the policy of the procurement of rolling stock discouraging import as completely built units (CBU), he added.
Elaborating, he said, in future bulk of rolling stock would be manufactured locally in Pakistan Railways own carriage factory. Accordingly, he added, a PC-I, for procurement and manufacturing of 250 coaches was under approval in the Planning Commission, out of which 186 coaches would be manufactured in the Islamabad Carriage Factory.
Similarly, he said, a tender for procurement of 800 high capacity hopper wagons was in progress, out of which 595 wagons would be manufactured in the factory.
