AN agreement was signed between Pakistan Railways and General Electric (GE) on June 20 under which Pakistan will import 55 diesel locomotives from the US. These locomotives would cost the nation a whopping Rs500m apiece.

Out of these 55 locomotives, 40 would be used to haul coal to the Sahiwal and Jamshoro power stations, and 15 would be used for general freight services. The railway minister says that it was the first time in the history of railways that such locomotives with latest technology were being inducted and that all future procurements would be from companies with a proven export record.

Pakistan has its own locomotive manufacturing factory at Risalpur commissioned in 1993 at a cost of Rs2,284 million. This is one of the most modern factories equipped with the latest plant and machinery of Japanese origin. The factory can manufacture 25 locomotives per annum on a single-shift basis.

It means that in double shift, it would be able to produce 50 locomotives a year. The technology for the manufacture of locomotives in this factory has been acquired from Hitachi (Japan), General Electric (USA), ADtranz (Germany) and Dalian (China).

When a locomotive factory exists in Pakistan, why are we so keen to import locomotives from abroad? We should utilise the full potential of this factory and manufacture all the 55 engines here.

In case the machinery has gone out-of-date, it can be easily upgraded with the help of the original equipment manufacturer. With updated machinery in place, Pakistan would not only be able to meet its own demand, but receive export orders.

Besides saving foreign exchange, we will be able to employ local manpower. The locomotives manufactured in our factory have been successfully operating important main-line trains.

The government should introduce an amendment in the contract with GE stipulating that GE should manufacture them in Pakistan through transfer of technology.

Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A. Khan

Rawalpindi

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2016