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Railways revises investment

proposal for 8th five year plan

TANVIR ZAHID

LAHORE: Pakistan Railways authorities have revised investment proposal for utilization of allocated funds of Rs. 40 billion for 8th five year plan.

The plan was launched on July 1,1994 retrospectively with effect from July 1,1993 and the Railways had revised their priorities just when the plan implementation was entering in third year.

According to information available to Business Recorder in Lahore on Saturday from Railways sources allocations for a number of new and on-going development projects have been revised downward to make room for induction of some new projects which were hitherto not scheduled for launching and implementation during the plan period.

Allocation of Rs. 10 billion for doubling of 800 kilometers of track from Lodhran to Peshawar to remove speed restrictions on the main has been reduced to just Rs. 1.8 billion.

In order to improve the quality of service and reliability of Railways operation, the 8th plan envisaged originally an allocation of Rs. 11.787 billion for track rehabilitation programme. This included Rs. 8 billion for improvement of track on main line from Karachi to Peshawar to cater for higher speeds, Rs. 2.8 billion for Spezand-Taftan section and Rs. 0.987 billion for completion of on-going track improvement/rehabilitation programme during the plan period.

In the revised programme, this allocation for Track Rehabilitation and Upgradation has also brought down to Rs. 4.5 billion from Rs. 11.787 billion.

While provision of Rs. 5.2 billion for replacement of 53 locomotives has been retained along with allocation of Rs. 2.8 billion for rehabilitation of 101 diesel electric locomotives, a substantial amount of Rs. 5.9 billion) slashed from rehabilitation and doubling of track) has been provided for provision of additional 45 diesel electric locomotives for oil, containers and inter-city rains, Rs. 0.8 billion has been set aside for recommissioning of accidented locomotives, Rs. 1 billion each for extension of workshop and replacement of steam engines on meter gauge.

Furthermore, the allocation of Rs. 0.5 billion for revamping and procurement of 14 electric locomotives has been revised upward and placed at Rs. 1.3 billion.

Likewise, allocation of Rs. 1.8 billion for manufacturing of 175 new airconditioned coaches has been raised to Rs. 2.4 billion for ensuring accelerated completion and new scheme for production of 84 additional coaches for inter-city trains has been allocated Rs. 1.1 billion.

Allocation of Rs. 2.6 billion for 1400 new high capacity wagons has been retained at the same level, Signalling and Telecommunication has been provided Rs. 2.2 billion and allocation for other schemes, not specified, has been increased from Rs. 4.6 billion to Rs. 7.4 billion within the overall allocation of Rs. 40 billion for Pakistan Railways under 8th five year plan, the sources pointed out.