Local production

This refers to the news report ‘Pakistan, China ink accord to upgrade railways (December 04)’. The Chinese company China Railway Rolling Corporation (CRRC) has shown interest in investing in Pakistan and to supply 230 modern coaches to Pakistan. It may be mentioned that Pakistan possesses a carriage manufacturing factory in Islamabad, which can manufacture 150 passenger coaches per year on a single-shift basis.

In the presence of this facility, the import of ready-made carriages from China would be an unnecessary expenditure. All the proposed 230 coaches can be manufactured in the carriage factory locally. By working on a double-shift basis, the factory can produce 300 coaches annually. The railways authorities are requested to give a serious thought to this suggestion.

Air Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan

Karachi