KARACHI, July 29: The first consignment of 14 new coaches built in China were handed over to Pakistan Railways at Karachi Port Trust on Monday. A second batch of 26 coaches is likely to reach Karachi in three months.

Under an agreement, Pakistan Railways would get a total of 175 coaches — 40 to be built in China and the remaining 135 to be made in Carriage Factory, Islamabad, by transfer of technology —, a top Railways official said.

The 14 coaches, which were unloaded from a ship on Sunday, were formally handed over to Lt-Gen Saeeduz Zafar by the Chinese Consul General Lin Chong Lin at a ceremony at KPT West Wharf.

Speaking on the occasion, Saeeduz Zafar said the cooperation between Pakistan and China in the political and defence sectors had continued for the past 50 years and now the cooperation in the railways sector had also begun.

He hoped this cooperation would play a vital role in the development of Pakistan railways.

He disclosed that besides these coaches, Pakistan Railway would also import 69 locomotives, 50,000 tons railway lines and equipment required to modernize the railway workshops.

Chinese Consul General said the two nations’ friendship had become over 50 years old and was based on mutual respect and cooperation. Concurrently, it also aimed at establishing peace and stability in the region.

He said a new era of cooperation had started in the Railway after Gwadar Port and Thar coal exploration projects.

A new passenger railway service — Korakaram Express — will be inaugurated with these 14 new coaches on August 14, which will shuttle between Karachi and Lahore, the Deputy Superintendent Railways Abdul Wahab Khan told Dawn.

He said the Korakaram Express would follow the path of Tezgam and would leave Karachi for Lahore at 4.30pm. Tezgam would depart the city at 4.45pm.

He said Korakaram would reach its destination earlier than others with least stopovers.

Pakistan Railway officials said the railway was procuring passenger coaches valued at Rs7.77 billion from China. Besides, a ship carrying 4,000 tons of rails of UIC 54 specification had also arrived at Karachi from China. The consignment is to be off-loaded in a couple of days.

They said these rails would replace the existing tracks starting from Karachi Division. The exercise will make the tracks fit for higher speed.

The officials said a trial run of Korakaram Express would hopefully begin in three days. It would initially be run at a speed of 105km per hour, with this speed gradually going up to 140km per hour, for which these coaches were designed.

At the hand-over ceremony, General Manager, Manufacturing and Services, Maj Gen Hamid Hasan Butt, Divisional Superintendent Railway, Karachi Division, Abdul Wahab Awan, Chief Commercial Manager (Passenger), Junaid Qureshi, Deputy Divisional Superintendents, Nasrin Haq and Mir Mohammed Khaskheli, and other senior officials from Railway Headquarters Lahore and Divisional Office Karachi were also present.