KARACHI, March 24: The Karachi-Lahore Karakoram Express, consisting of Chinese coaches, on Monday began daily operation after its formal inauguration by Federal Minister for Railways Ghous Bux Mahar at a ceremony at the Cantonment Station.

The train had been operating on an alternate basis after receipt of 16 coaches from China and then made a daily service after arrival of another 24 coaches earlier this month.

Mr Mahar told newsmen that 175 coaches had been purchased from China with transfer of technology, out of which 40 had been received so far while the remaining would be manufactured at the Islamabad Carriage Factory with technology and spare-parts to be supplied by China.

The new train now comprises six economy, four lower-AC and one airconditioned parlour coaches. The minister said that another train, also consisting of Chinese coaches, would begin operation between Quetta and Rawalpindi from mid-April.

He said the acquisition of new coaches would help stabilize the railways and boost its revenue generation efforts.

Mr Mahar said that the railways’ working, including its reservation system, would be fully-computerised by the next year. In reply to a question, he said that at present there was no plan to privatize the railways.

The railways, he added, had already entered the profit-making stage and now “our efforts will focus on making the profit level going higher and higher.”

He said that plans were under consideration to operate more fast, separate day-and-night trains and also for long and short distances.

In view of the introduction of faster trains in future, the railways would erect fences on both sides of the tracks.

He said that the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway system had been planned for which a survey had already been completed. For carrying out feasibility studies, tenders would be floated and awarded to the lowest bidder, he said, adding that it had been decided that the KCR would be operated in the private sector.—APP