Pakistan: Pakistan Orders 800 Freight Wagons from China

Image courtesy of ARA

Pakistan Orders 800 Freight Wagons from China

The Pakistani Ministry of Railways has signed a Rs3.92billion agreement with Jinan Railway Vehicles Equipment Company to buy 800 hopper wagons and one railroad freight car which will carry coal from Port Bin Qasim to power plants. Five freight trains a day will run from the port to Qadirabad power station to transport 12,000 tons of coal.

Jinan, a subsidiary of the China CNR Corporation, is a leading manufacturer of railway freight wagons in China. It will deliver 200 complete built units wagons and 580 complete knock-down wagons over the next six to 10 months, which will be built at the Mughalpura railway workshop.

The freight cars feature an automatic discharge mechanism with a discharging time of 30 seconds. They are top loading, while unloading takes place from the sides via a pneumatic door operating mechanism.

Minister for Railways Saad Rafiq said that Pakistan Railways will accrue Rs6billion every year for moving coal from Port Qasim to coal-based power plants, and that Pakistan Railways saved Rs1billion by re-tendering the project.

The Ministry is currently drafting a contract to buy 585 hopper wagons, for which tenders will be issued soon.

Pakistan Railways has previously bought 55 diesel electric locomotives from General Electric (GE) for Rs22.44billion, which will also be used to move coal.