ISLAMABAD
Pakistan Railways and GE Transportation have maintained a successful relationship for more than three decades and Wednesday’s announcement builds upon the commitment to further develop Pakistan’s rail infrastructure. GE Transportation will provide Pakistan Railways with twenty FDL C20EMP locomotives to help in the transportation of people and goods across the country’s mountainous northern terrain.
These lighter weight locomotives, which operate on 2,000 horsepower, are designed to better maneuver difficult access roads. The AC/DC compatible locomotives enable the unique tractive effort necessary to operate the country’s northernmost landscape. The locomotives can serve both freight and passenger cargo, and will primarily be used to move between Karachi and Lahore (MLI) and later on to Peshawar and Quetta. New locomotives would be dedicated to oil and coal supply, small businessmen of Faisalabad and Multan would also be accommodated, by running one good train each from these stations.
“We continue to make great strides towards reaching the transportation goal as part of the country’s Vision 2025 plan,” said Federal Minister for Railways Kh. Saad Rafique. “Modernizing rail transportation and improving regional connectivity are critical components of the government’s plan, and we’re confident that our relationship with GE will help achieve these goals.”
“GE’s long-standing relationship with Pakistan Railways is a testament to our reliability and innovation within the rail space,” said President & CEO, GE Pakistan Sarim Sheikh. “We look forward to delivering strong locomotives that help the country reach its goals in improving rail infrastructure across the country, improving the quality of services to citizens and supporting the nation’s economy.”
In 2015, GE and Pakistan Railways signed an agreement for 55 Evolutions Series Locomotives, of which 32 are already in the country. Similarly, Pakistan Railways’ agreement to purchase FDL locomotives further supports the Government of Pakistan’s desire to increase the share of rail in transportation from 4 percent to 20 percent within the next 10 years.
