Pakistan Railways has started work on procuring 16 new power plants worth over Rs. 3 billion as part of a plan to replace aging units installed in express and passenger trains across the country.
Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said the procurement process will be completed by December this year, while bidding, tendering and shortlisting are currently underway.
The department is also overhauling outdated and non-functional plants in phases. According to the minister, all trains are expected to have new, overhauled or properly maintained power plants by March next year, which should help reduce complaints related to electricity, air conditioning and lighting during journeys.
Pakistan Railways currently has 95 power plants, of which 45 are operational in different trains, while the remaining units are non-functional.
The lack of proper maintenance over the past six to seven years has led to frequent passenger complaints and service issues.
There have also been incidents in which passengers suffered due to fires caused by short circuits, power fluctuations and related electrical faults.
The department also plans to replace smaller power plants installed in local passenger trains, although work on that component has not yet started.
The minister said the current project aims to add around seven new or overhauled power plants to the train operation system.
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