ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Railways has started special master level classes in railway engineering department in collaboration with Pak-Austria Fachhochschule Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology (PAFIST) to enhance the capacity of its engineers and technical staff.
The special master level classes had been organized through the Pakistan Railways Training Academy Walton, Lahore, an official in the Ministry of Railways told reporter.
The special cell for foreign training had also been set up at the Ministry of Railways, the official added.
“A policy for transfer of technology and indigenization of railway rolling stock manufacture in Pakistan Railways facilities is being pursued in closer collaboration with the People‘s Republic of China,” he added.
To a question, the official said Pakistan Railways was trying to improve the punctuality of the trains. He said that in order to facilitate passengers, a mobile application ‘Pakrail live’ had also been launched for real time tracking of trains. And due to close monitoring of trains at the divisional, headquarters and ministry levels, the punctuality of trains had improved, he added.
The official said that outsourcing of freight trains had also been initiated under Pakistan Railways Freight Transportation Company (PRFTC) to earn more revenue for the department.
He said that outsourcing regime for passenger sector was being followed through Pakistan Railways Advisory & Consultancy Services (PRACS) to improve service delivery as per modern day requirements and to derive maximum revenue potential.
The official said that to improve service delivery, transformation of railway hospitals, schools and colleges on public private partnership mode was in progress.
He said that Pakistan Railways was also handing over its residential colonies to DISCOs (K-Electric) for direct billing in order to minimize impact of difference of tariff and line losses on electricity bills.