RAWALPINDI, Jan 7: Pakistan is tapping the international market to acquire 300 high speed freight wagons and 75 locomotive engines in an effort to modernise and improve the rolling stock of the railways.

Railway Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad, who held a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Islamabad on Saturday, told Dawn that Pakistan wished Iran to participate in the international bidding for the supply of locomotives and freight wagons. He said Iran had shown keen interest to meet the demand of Pakistan Railways, and he himself would lead a delegation to Tehran next month to see the brotherly country’s capabilities in railways.

On the other hand, Iran has awarded a Euro 450 million contract to Germany for the supply and manufacturing of 150 locomotives. Based on the contract, 30 locomotives will be manufactured in Germany and 120 others by a German company on the basis of technology transfer taking advantage of domestic potentialities over a period of six and a half years.

The locomotives ordered by Iran would run 160 kilometres per hour by using modern bogies and microprocessor control technology.

If a deal is struck with Iran, the agreement may be inked during the proposed visit of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to Iran in March. Pakistan Railways is yet to run up to its maximum strength mainly due to lack of modernisation and expansion of its infrastructure and strengthening of its rolling stock.

The dilemma for the railways is that strengthening of manpower is more focused than modernising and expanding its services. The end result is that the organisation is no less than a ‘white elephant. But Shaikh Rashid is determined to make the Pakistan Railways a fighting force.

Except for its weak links with Iran and India, Pakistan Railways has not yet moved on to connect with Afghanistan or the Central Asian Republics (CAR), while Iran has rail links with the CAR countries.

President General Pervez Musharraf has directed Shaikh Rashid to establish a new railway link from Quetta to Zahidan in Iran. It is learnt that the Kermoan-Zahidan railway with the axle-load of 22.5 tones is under construction and would be ready next year. This gives hope to increase rail traffic between the two countries. A present, the axle-load on this sector is 14 tones.

The freight service has not been a big source of earnings for the railways. With the introduction of high-speed wagons, the freight service would considerably improve the delivery system and generate revenue.