LAHORE, Sept 29: The Pakistan Railways will purchase 1,300 high-capacity wagons from China as the Ecnec has okayed the project in its meeting the other day.

Total cost of the project is Rs5,870 million and an amount of Rs460 million has been earmarked for it in the current public sector development programme (PSDP).

Railways chief project planning officer Ziaul Qamar says the allocation is 12.5 per cent of the total estimate which has to be paid in advance to the Chinese firm supplying the wagons.

Earlier, agreements had been signed with Chinese companies for supply of locomotives, passenger coaches and rails to improve speed and other facilities for railway customers.

Each new wagon can carry three 20-ft containers of 20 tons besides having a better life prospects. These can also be rehabilitated.

The railways have so far flat or bogey type wagons. The first one can carry single container while the second can carry two containers.

Of 1,300 new wagons, 480 will be received as completely build units (CBUs), while the rest of the 820 wagons will be assembled in the Carriage and Wagon Shop, Lahore, under a technology transfer agreement.

According to Mr Qamar, the concept letter for laying rail track between Chaman and Kandahar has been written.

The Chaman-Kandahar rail link will provide central Asian states an easy access to outside world through Gwadar port.

From Kandahar the rail link will be diverted to Kushka town in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, tenders for preparing feasibility of linking Gwadar port with railway network were opened here on Monday, it is learnt.

Four companies have submitted their tenders for the project.

Project director Saeedud Din Khan says a committee will be formed to scrutinize and evaluate the bids and present a report to the general manager within two weeks.