Pakistan Railways

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Pakistan Railways
Native name
 پاکستان ریلویز
State-owned enterprise
Industry Rail Transport
Predecessor North Western State Railway
Founded 13 May 1861 (162 years ago) (1861-05-13)[1]
Headquarters Lahore, Pakistan
Area served
 Pakistan
Key people
Services
Revenue Increase ₨31.9 billion (US$310 million)[2] (2015–16)
Increase ₨64.2 billion (US$630 million)[3] (2015–16)
Decrease ₨28.0 billion (US$270 million)[3] (2015–16)
Owner Government of Pakistan
Number of employees
 78,031[2] (2015)
Parent Ministry of Railways
Divisions 6
Subsidiaries 1
Website
Pakistan Railways
Reporting mark PR
Locale Pakistan
Dates of operation 1861–present
Track gauge 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Length 7,791 kilometres (4,841 mi) (route)[2]
11,881 kilometres (7,383 mi) (track)

Pakistan Railways (reporting mark PR) (Urdu: پاکستان ریلویز‎), formerly also known as the Pakistan Western Railway between 1947 and 1974, is the a national state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns Lua error in Module:Convert at line 1851: attempt to index local 'en_value' (a nil value). of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi and operates both freight and passenger train services. In 2014, the Ministry of Railways launched "Pakistan Railways Vision 2025" which, along with the ₨886.68 billion (US$8.7 billion) China–Pakistan Economic Corridor railway upgrade, seeks to reinvigorate Pakistan Railways by increasing its share in the transportation sector from 4% to 20% by 2025. The plans include the acquisition of new locomotives, developing and improving current rail infrastructure, increasing average train speeds, improving punctuality and expanding passenger services. The first phase of the project will be completed in December 2017, while the second phase will be completed by 2021.[4] Pakistan Railways is an active member of the International Union of Railways.

History

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Main article: History of rail transport in Pakistan
File:Steam locomotive in Pindi station.jpg
Pakistan Railways still operates a few steam locomotives.
Fortified North Western State Railway bridge over the Indus River at Attock, 1895

The history of rail transport in Pakistan covers the period beginning in 1855 during the British Raj, when several railway companies began laying track and operating in what is today Pakistan, and ending during the present-day nationalised company under the name of Pakistan Railways. The railway system in Pakistan was originally built as a patchwork of local rail links operated by small private railway companies. These included the Scinde Railway, Punjab Railway, Delhi Railway and Indus Steam Flotilla companies. In 1870, these 4 companies were amalgamated into the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway company. Shortly thereafter, several other railways lines were built including the Indus Valley State Railway, Punjab Northern State Railway, Sind–Sagar Railway, Sind–Pishin State Railway, Trans–Baluchistan Railway and Kandahar State Railway. These 6 companies along with the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway company merged to form the North Western State Railway in 1880. Between 1880 and 1947, the North Western State Railway expanded throughout Punjab and Sindh. In 1947, when Pakistan achieved its independence from Britain, the majority of the North Western State Railway infrastructure fell under Pakistan's territory and was renamed to Pakistan Western Railway. In East Bengal, portions of the Assam Bengal Railway fell under Pakistan's territory and was thus renamed to Pakistan Eastern Railway. During the early years after independence, the railway system underwent reorganisation, some of which proved controversial. Pakistan adopted 8,122 kilometres (5,047 mi) of the North Western State Railway - of this 6,880 kilometres (4,280 mi) was 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in), 506 kilometres (314 mi) was 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in), and 736 kilometres (457 mi) was 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge.[5][6] From 1948, usage of railways increased and the network became profitable. From 1950 to 1955, the Mashriq-Maghreb Express operated from Koh-e-Taftan in West Pakistan to Chittagong in East Pakistan, using Indian railway track and rolling stock for a 1986 km (1245 miles) journey between Attari and Benapole. In 1954, the a branch line was extended from the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line to Mardan and Charsada. In 1956, the Jacobabad-Kashmore 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) gauge line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge. In 1974, Pakistan Western Railways was renamed to Pakistan Railways. The Kot Adu-Kashmore section of the Kotri–Attock Railway Line was constructed between 1969 and 1973 providing an alternative route from Karachi to northern Pakistan. In February 2006, the 126 km Hyderabad–Khokhrapar Branch Line was converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in). On 8 January 2016, the Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line double rail project was completed. Subsequently all the metre gauge and narrow gauge tracks were either converted to 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge or dismantled. Over the years Pakistan Railways has been criticized for its deteriorating quality of services and declining number of passengers and trains. The railway used to be the predominant mode of transportation in Pakistan until 1965. At its peak between 1955 and 1960, PR handled 73% of freight traffic, compared to less than 4% in 2015. During 1970s, Pakistan Railways also had the largest passenger carrier share in transportation. Unfortunately, its role as a catalyst for economic development has received a setback due to significant under-investment by successive governments who preferred investment in road infrastructure at the cost of railways. Declining passenger numbers and financial losses in the late 1980s to early 1990s prompted the closure of many branch lines and small stations. The 1990s saw severe cuts in rail subsidies and mismanagement within the company. Due to falling passenger numbers, rail subsidies from the government are necessary to keep the railways financially viable.[7]

Structure

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Main article: Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)

Pakistan Railways is a state-owned enterprise under the Ministry of Railways (MoR) of the Government of Pakistan, tasked and primarily responsible for planning, administrating, and establishing the passengers rail services as well as regulating railway companies and industries. Overall, the control of Pakistan Railways, policy and development are managed and administrated by the ministry.[8] From 1947 to 1959, the Pakistan Western Railway and Pakistan Eastern Railway were administered through the Railway Division of the Ministry of Communications. The division was headed by the Director General of Railways (DG Railways) within the ministry. In 1959, an ordinance bill was passed in the parliament underlying the need for the creation of a semi-autonomous Railway Board. The board was perceived in accordance with the principal powers of the Central Government as stipulated in the Railways Act IX of 1890. After the first session of the third national assembly, president Ayub Khan issued a presidential order (PO 33) on 9 June 1962. The presidential order instructed for the transfer of control of both railways, PWR and PER, from the Central Government to the provincial governments of West Pakistan and East Pakistan respectively.[9] When the presidential order came into effect on 1 July 1962, concurrent Railway Boards were established by both provinces, repealing the original Railway Board Ordinance of 1959.[10] The presidential order also reinstated the formerly discarded Separation Convention, whereby the railway finances were ultimately separated from the general finances for the fiscal year 1961-62 and thereafter,[11] giving each board increased autonomy. In 1974, the Ministry of Railways was created to look after planning, policy-making, technical advisory service and management of the railway. In 1982, the Ministry of Railways was merged with the Railway Board under a presidential order, resulting in the federal ministry as it stands to date.

Railway board

The Railway Board functioned from 1959 to 2000 and was modified with addition of the "Executive Committee of Railway Board" between 2000 and 2014. However, the Railway Board was reconstituted again on February 20, 2015. The Minister of Railways Secretary serves as the official chairman of the Pakistan Railway Board. The autonomous board consists of:

  • Secretary (Minister of Railways)
  • Secretary, Communications Division
  • Secretary, Finance Division
  • Secretary, Planning & Development Division
  • General Manager (Operations)
  • General Manager (Manufacturing & Services)
  • Member Finance, Ministry of Railways. This composition could not get parliament approval and presently the Board consists of ex. officio member listed above with three members from private sector, appointed by Govt. The Secretary Railways is also Chairman of the Board. The secretariat of Board is headed by Secretary Railway Board. The seat of Board is Ministry of Railways, Islamabad.

Functional units

Pakistan Railways comprises three functional units:[1]

  • Operations
  • Manufacturing
  • Welfare & special initiative unit

Operations

File:Train at Pindi station2.jpg
Train at Rawalpindi station.
Khyber Steam Train Safari

The operating unit of Pakistan Railways is divided into 3 main departments. The Infrastructure Department which oversees civil engineering, signaling, telecommunications, design and the directorate of property. The Mechanical Engineering Department which oversees mechanical engineering, purchasing, stores and electrical engineering and the Traffic Department which oversees passenger facilities, operations, marketing and the directorate of information technology. Several smaller departments also fall under the operating unit, including the Personnel Department, Railways Police Department, Planning Department, Directorate of Legal Affairs, Directorate of Public Relations and the Pakistan Railways Academy.

Divisions

Pakistan Railway comprises seven territorial operating divisions:

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2

Tracks

Pakistan Railways owns 11,881 kilometres (7,383 mi) of track. All the tracks are 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) (broad gauge) barring some industrial railways.

Axle load limit

Pakistan Railways' broad gauge track axle load limit is 22.86 tonnes with exceptions at the Rohri-Chaman Railway Line (limit 17.78 tonnes) and Quetta-Taftan Railway Line (limit 17.27 tonnes)

Speed

The maximum speed of trains on most railway lines is 120 km/h, however, certain upgraded sections of the Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line line allow speeds up to 130 km/h. Work is in progress to upgrade all main lines to speeds above 120 km/h.[12]

Passenger services

Passenger traffic comprises 50% of the total revenue annually. During 1999-2000, this amounted to Rs. 4.8 billion. Pakistan Railways carries 65 million passengers annually and daily operates 228 mail, express and passenger trains. Daily the railway carries an average of 178,000 people. Pakistan Railways also operates special trains during occasions such as Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Azha, Independence Day and Raiwind Ijtema. The railway authorities have set up a website[13] with all information regarding availability, departure and arrival of all trains, which is updated time to time as required. Current system of Pakistan Railways is much more simple and straightforward as the fares and routes calculated as per requirement can be seen directly from website. Also that the reservations of passengers are confirmed by an SMS sent to his mobile containing the details of reservation. This can be stated as the milestone which is achieved in the sole history of Pakistan Railways.

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Passengers carried (m)[14] 72.8 81.4 83.8 79.9 82.5 74.9 64.9 41.0 41.9 47.6 48.5 50.9 52.2

Freight services

Pakistan Railways used to be the predominant mode of transportation for freight from the coastal ports to the interior. At their peak between 1955-1960, PR handled 73% of freight traffic in Pakistan, compared to less than 4% in 2015. The "Freight Business Unit" operates over 200 freight stations, including the Port of Karachi and Bin Qasim Port plus several dry ports in all four provinces of the country. With 12,000 personnel the unit generates revenue from the movement of agricultural, industrial and imported products such as petroleum oil & lubricants, wheat, coal, fertilizer, rock phosphate, cement and sugar from the ports to the interior. About 39% of the revenue is generated from the transportation of petroleum products, 19% from wheat, fertilizer and rock phosphate while the remaining 42% is earned from domestic traffic.[citation needed]

On 14 August 2009, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani launched a freight train between Islamabad and Istanbul via Tehran. The first trail train carried 20 containers with a capacity of 750 t (738 long tons; 827 short tons) [15] and would make the 6,500 km (4,000 mi) journey from Islamabad to Tehran, Iran and on to Istanbul in two weeks.[16][17][18] In 2015, freight carried by Pakistan Railways increased to 3.3 million tons, a significant increase from years past.

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Freight carried
(million tonnes)[19]		 1.75 0.40 0.42 1.09 3.30 4.77

Fleet

Locomotives

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Main article: Locomotives of Pakistan

Pakistan Railways currently has 190 working DE locomotives. The average life of entire fleet (465 DE locomotives) is 25 years and are serviced at the Pakistan Locomotive Factory.[20]

Passenger carriages

Freight wagons

Classes

Pakistan Railways has several classes of travel. Depending on the route, certain trains may only have a single class. The fares for all classes are different with unreserved seating class being the cheapest. The following table lists the classes in operation.[21]

Class Description
AC Sleeper Class Code = ACSL
AC Parlour Class Code = PC
AC Business Class Code = ACLZ
AC Standard Class Code = ACL
First Class Sleeper Class Code = ISL
Economy Class Class Code = EC
Second Class Class Code = SEC

Manufacturing

Pakistan Locomotive Factory

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Main article: Pakistan Locomotive Factory

The Pakistan Locomotive Factory was established in Risalpur in 1993, at a total cost of ₨228.4 million (US$2.2 million), equipped with state-of-the-art machinery. The purpose of the factory was to manufacture indigenous diesel electric and electric locomotives, by maximizing local manufacturing of major assemblies and vital spare parts to meet with the demand of Pakistan Railways.

Carriage Factory

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Main article: Carriage Factory Islamabad

The Carriage Factory Islamabad was built for manufacturing new carriages for Pakistan Railways in 1970.

Moghalpura Railway Workshop

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Main article: Moghalpura Railway Workshops

The Moghalpura Railway Workshops are one of several rolling stock repair sites, located on the Lahore–Wagah Branch Line at Moghalpura Junction railway station in Lahore, Pakistan. The workshop complex began to emerge at its present site in 1904 in order to manufacture, repair and overhaul passenger coaches and freight wagons for the then North Western State Railway. After Pakistan's independence in 1947, it was the only state-of-the-art workshop for Pakistan Railways[22]

Concrete Sleeper Factories

Pakistan Railways owns five concrete sleeper factories in Sukkur, Khanewal, Kohat, Shahinabad[disambiguation needed] and Kotri. The first factory was established in Sukkur in 1967, while the remaining four factories were opened between 1979 and 1981.

Network

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Main article: Railway lines in Pakistan

Pakistan Railways network are divided into main lines and branch lines. The Karachi-Peshawar line serves as the main North-South line while the Rohri-Chaman line serves as the main East-West line.

Pakistan Railways Network
Karakoram Express departing to Lahore from Karachi Cantonment Station
Rohri Junction Station platform
Sahiwal Station platform
Lahore Junction Station
Alexendria bridge over the Chenab River near Gujrat
Train approaching Rohri Junction Station
Pir Mahal Station
Lalamusa Junction Station
Subak Raftar Express at Lalamusa Junction Station

Main lines

Branch lines

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2

International links

India India - Two rail links to India exist. The Thar Express (from Jodhpur, Rajasthan to Karachi) and Samjhauta Express (from Delhi to Lahore).

Iran Iran - Pakistan Railways is connected to the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways at Zahedan where a break-of-gauge exists between the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Quetta–Taftan Railway Line and the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) Kerman–Zahedan line. The link was completed on 18 May 2007.

Afghanistan Afghanistan - There is no rail link to Afghanistan at the moment as Afghanistan does not have a railway network at present. Pakistan Railway has proposed to help build an Afghan rail network in three phases. Phase one would stretch from the Chaman to Spin Boldak, as an extension of the Rohri–Chaman Railway Line. Phase two would extend the line from Spin Boldak to Kandahar, while phase three would extend from Kandahar to Herat and on to Khushka, Turkmenistan, thus linking the 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) with the Central Asian 1,520 mm (4 ft 11 27⁄32 in). It is not clear where the break-of-gauge station will be.[23] Another proposal is to extend the Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line to Kabul via Jalalabad.

Turkmenistan Turkmenistan - via Afghanistan (proposed) - avoiding 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) intervening.[24]

China China - There is no rail link with China at present. On 28 February 2007, contracts were awarded for several feasibility studies on the Taxila–Khunjerab Railway Line, extending from extending from Havelian via the Khunjerab Pass, to the Chinese railhead at Kashgar, a distance of about 750 km.[25]

Turkey Turkey - The completion of the Pakistan-Iran link has made it possible, in principle, to run trains between Pakistan and Turkey via Iran. A container train trial service was launched by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani between Islamabad and Istanbul on 14 August 2009. The first train carried 20 containers with a capacity of around 750 t (738 long tons; 827 short tons) [15] and will travel 6,500 km (4,000 mi) from Islamabad, through Tehran, Iran and on wards to Istanbul.[16][26] An Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad passenger rail service has also been proposed as well.[27] In 2009, the Minister for Railways Ghulam Ahmad Bilour expressed hope that after the trial of the container train service, a passenger train will be launched.[28] There are also hopes the route will provide a link to Europe and Central Asia in the future, and carry passengers.[17]

Expansion

New rail lines

Several new railway lines have been proposed by Pakistan Railways to connect Gwadar Port to Central Asia. These include:

Breaks of gauge

Track doubling project

Over 1409 km of railway has been doubled since the "track doubling project" began in the 1990s. Sections of the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line were first "doubled", as it was the busiest and longest railway line in the country.

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line

Rohri–Chaman Railway Line

Lahore–Wagah Branch Line

Restructuring

In March 2010, the Pakistani government announced plans to split Pakistan Railways into four privatised businesses; focused on passenger operations, freight, infrastructure, and manufacturing.[29] In February 2010, "unbundling" was proposed, with activities being outsourced, privatised, or operated separately. However, complete privatisation has been ruled out.[30]

Public-private partnership

Pakistan Railways has faced a severe financial and management crisis under the ministership of Mr. Bilor. In those circumstances the department has met with private operators. In this pursuit Pakistan Railway has started several trains on a public-private partnership. Pakistan Business Express Train commenced its maiden Journey on 3 February. 2012 and Shalimar Express resumed its operation on 25 February 2012.[31]

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor

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Main article: China Pakistan Economic Corridor

China is involved in the development of Pakistan Railways and for the past five years it has been increasing its stake in the country's communication sector. The freight-passenger earnings comprise 50% of the railway's total revenue. Pakistan Railways carries 65 million passengers annually and operates 228 mail, express and passenger trains daily. It introduced new mail and express trains between major terminals from 2003 to 2005. Pakistan Railways has entered agreements with Chinese railway companies for its development. In 2001, Pakistan Railways signed a $91.89 million contract with China National Machinery Import and Export Corp for the manufacture of 175 new high-speed passenger coaches. The project was funded by Exim Bank China on a supplier credit basis. Forty completely built passenger coaches have been received and 105 will be assembled in Pakistan Railways' carriage factory by next December. These coaches are being used on Pakistan Railways' mail and express trains from Rawalpindi-Lahore-Karachi, Lahore-Faisalabad and Rawalpindi-Quetta. The manufacturing kits for the remaining 30 coaches have also been received and manufacturing is in progress with 12 already assembled. The technology transfer for these coaches has been obtained from China's Chang Chun Car Co. Under an agreement signed with China in 2003, Pakistan Railways purchased 69 locomotives, of which 15 were delivered as completely built units and are in use by Pakistan Railways. The remaining 54 are to be built at Pakistan Railways' locomotive factory. The Chinese locomotives are 37% cheaper than the European locomotives. Some in Pakistan have been criticizing the faulty locomotives purchased by Pakistan Railways from Dongfang Electric Corporation of China. Pakistan Railways have decided to purchase 45 more 2,000-3,000-horsepower locomotives from the same company. The company is willing to redesign the already-delivered 30 locomotives of the original order, such that the underframe is strengthened and the weight reduced to less than 140 tons. A Chinese company, Beijing Research and Design Institute, is committed to providing 300 rail cars to Pakistan Railways.

Under another agreement signed in 2004 with China National Machinery and Equipment Group, the Chinese company is to undertake the construction of Corridor 1 of a light-rail mass-transit system for Karachi that is intended to serve 4 million commuters. The project will cost about $568 million and take four and a half years to complete. The contract has been awarded on a build-operate-transfer basis and comprises five corridors. Pakistan signed a series of agreements with China during the past three years to enhance the capability of its railway system. Under an agreement signed between Pakistan and China Railway, a Chinese company will provide 1,300 freight cars to Pakistan Railways, of which 420 will be manufactured in China and the remaining 880 will be produced at the Moghalpura railway workshops in Lahore. Under another project, 450 passenger coaches will be rehabilitated at an estimated cost of Rs2.14 billion. The project also includes the conversion of 40 coaches into air-conditioned cars and the conversion of 10 power vans. Furthermore, there is a provision of 100 new high-speed bogies, 30 of which will be imported from China, while 70 will be manufactured locally on a transfer-of-technology basis. Under a separate agreement, 175 new passenger coaches are being purchased from China.

As part of a $100 million agreement signed between Pakistan and China in November 2001, China is to export 69 locomotive engines to Pakistan to modernize Pakistan's railway fleet. The first eight engines have been completed and are ready for shipment to Karachi. The new engines consume less fuel than older models and are cheaper to maintain. The main feature of this deal is that the first 15 engines will be manufactured in China and the remainder will be assembled in Pakistan, with spare parts and technology provided by China. Similarly, for a Rs7.2 billion railway project in Sindh province involving laying 78,000 tons of rails, China delivered 64,000 tons to Pakistan Railways.

Karakoram Railway

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Main article: Taxila–Khunjerab Railway Line

Pakistan awarded a Rs72 million (US$1.2 million) contract to an international consortium to carry out a feasibility study for establishing a rail link with China to boost trade relations between the two countries. The study will cover a 750-kilometre section between Havellian and the 4,730-metre-high Khunjerab Pass over Mansehra district and the Karakoram Highway. Havellian is already linked with the rest of the rail network in Pakistan; the Chinese will lay some 350 km of track within their own territory from Kashgar terminus up to the Khunjerab Pass, linking Pakistan with China's rail network, largely following the route of the Karakoram Highway. By expanding its stake in Pakistan's rail sector, China can exploit the country's advantageous geographical position at the confluence of south, central and west Asia. In the first week of February 2007, Pakistan Railways and China's Dongfang Electric Corporation signed an agreement for establishing a rail link between Havellian and Khunjerab. Ingenieurgemeinschaft Lasser-Feizlmayr (ILF), a consortium of consultant engineers from Austria, Germany and Pakistan, is to submit its report to the Ministry of Railways in nine months. It is most likely that the distance between Havellian and Khunjerab will involve the construction of tunnels. The ILF services encompass both the construction of new high-speed railway lines and the modernisation of existing lines for standard gauge railways in addition to tunnels.[32] The pre-feasibility study was completed in July 2011.[33]

Gwadar link

As a part of its development plan for its transport and communications network, Pakistan Railways has completed a feasibility study of the Chaman-Kandahar section for laying railway tracks between Pakistan and Turkmenistan through Afghanistan. The feasibility study for cost, engineering and design for the construction of a rail link from Gwadar to the existing rail network in Mastung district in Balochistan has also been finalised. The new link to Gwadar port will open up underdeveloped areas of Balochistan for development. The main aim of the venture is to connect the Central Asian republics with Pakistan Railways' network through Afghanistan.

China is going to be the beneficiary of Gwadar's most accessible international trade routes to the Central Asian republics and China's Xinjiang border region. By extending its East-West Railway from the Chinese border city of Kashi to Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest, Peking can receive cargo to and from Gwadar along the shortest route, from Karachi to Peshawar. The rail network could also be used to supply oil from the Persian Gulf to Xinjiang. Pakistan's internal rail network can also provide China with rail access to Persia.

Incidents

  • Sukkur rail disaster
    • The Sukkur rail disaster occurred on 4 January 1990 in the village of Sangi near Sukkur in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. 307 people were killed making it Pakistan's worst rail disaster.[34] The train (Bahauddin Zakaria Express) concerned was on a 500-mile (800 km) overnight run from Multan to Karachi and was carrying many more passengers in its 16 carriages than its 1408-seat capacity. It was supposed to pass through the village of Sangi but incorrectly set points sent it into a siding where it collided with an empty 67-car freight train at a speed of at least 35 mph.
  • Ghotki train crash
    • In its worst accident in recent years, three passenger trains collided on 13 July 2005, derailing 13 carriages and leaving at least 120 dead. The Karachi Express ran into the back of the Quetta Express while it was stopped at a station near Ghotki, and the Tezgam travelling in the opposite direction hit several of the derailed carriages. According to officials, the conductor of the Karachi Express misread a signal.[35]
  • Super Parcel Express
    • On 21 August 2005, the upcountry Super Parcels Express derailed while crossing the Malir Bridge near Landhi in the Karachi Division. Eight bogies were substantially damaged when an axle broke due to overloading. Rail traffic was suspended for 24 hours. All down trains were terminated at Landhi and the rakes and the locos turned around from Landhi.
  • Mehrabpur train derailment
    • On 19 December 2007, the Karachi Express, an express service from Karachi to Lahore, derailed near the town of Mehrabpur in the Sindh province of Pakistan. At around 2:25 a.m. local time, fourteen of the train's sixteen carriages left the tracks, some being mangled by the crash, others simply sliding down an embankment into the water. Sabotage and terrorism were ruled out as the reason for the crash, with officials believing a faulty track was the cause of the derailment.[36]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.pakrail.com/ybook2.pdf
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 http://www.pakrail.com/ybbt.pdf
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://tribune.com.pk/story/1160520/downfall-pakistan-railways-suffers-another-loss-making-year/
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Wikipedia: Metre gauge railway
  6. ↑ Wikipedia: Narrow gauge railway
  7. ↑ http://www.pildat.org/publications/publication/GovernanceAssessment/PerformanceAnalysisofPakistanRailways.pdf
  8. ↑ http://www.railways.gov.pk/
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ International Development Association 1962, p. 2
  11. ↑ Pakistan Railways 2011, p. 3.9, paragraph 338-B
  12. ↑ http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/368934-Upgradation-of-ML1-would-escalate-trains-speed-b
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ https://www.pakrail.gov.pk/images/yearbook/ybbt.pdf
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Passenger service
  19. ↑ https://www.pakrail.gov.pk/images/yearbook/ybbt.pdf
  20. ↑ https://www.pakrail.gov.pk/Achievements.aspx
  21. ↑ https://www.pakrail.gov.pk/TrainClasses.aspx
  22. ↑ http://www.dawn.com/news/1282981
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ http://www.thaishipper.com/Content/Content.asp?ID=26715
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ China-Pakistan rail link on horizon, Asia Times Online, 24 February 2007.
  33. ↑ Pre-feasibility for 411 mile rail link between Pakistan’s town of Havelian and Khunjerab completed, Pamir Times, 3 July 2011.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Aziz, Abdul: Sabotage unlikely in train crash, Dawn, 20 December 2007.

External links

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