GE Locomotives Delivered To Pakistan

As part of an agreement signed with Pakistan Railways in June 2015, GE Transportation has delivered the first seven of 55 GE Evolution Series locomotives.

The locomotives, delivered to the Karachi Port, will be used exclusively to haul freight, and will primarily transport coal supplies from Port Qasim in Karachi to Sahiwal. Five trains will run daily for this purpose, carrying 12 000 tons of freight.

The locomotives that were delivered are designed for the harsh environmental conditions of Pakistan, including high temperatures. The locomotives are powered by 12-cylinder GE Evolution Series engines rated 4563 hp with an 8000 L fuel tank. Each can pull 40 high capacity wagons.

Modernizing the transportation infrastructure and improving regional connectivity is a key goal of the Government of Pakistan under its Vision 2025 plan. Over the next 10 years, the government aims to increase the share of rail in transportation from 4 to 20%, which will help lower both the costs and environmental impact of moving goods across the country.

GE said the remaining locomotives are expected to be delivered to Pakistan Railways this year, reflecting the company’s support to Pakistan’s vision, and its commitment to bring GE’s latest technologies to help improve the efficiency of the transportation infrastructure in the country.

Speaking on the significance of the occasion, Javed Anwer Bubak, chief executive officer of Pakistan Railways stated, “Strengthening the transportation and logistics infrastructure is crucial to support Pakistan’s economy. Each locomotive will be used to haul up to 3400 tons of freight and the seven locomotives are expected to help Pakistan Railways generate substantial revenues of up to Rs. 13 billion per year. We are glad to partner on this initiative with GE, which is well-known throughout the world for its reliability, innovation and superior technology.”

The CEO of Pakistan Railways further elaborated, that the Evolution Series of locomotives manufactured by GE has state of the art technology and Pakistan has become the first country in South Asia to import and use this latest technology in South Asia.

“GE has been a committed partner to Pakistan Railways for more than 35 years. Our locomotives are among the best performing within Pakistan Railways’ fleet,” said Sarim Sheikh, president & CEO, GE Pakistan. “These new locomotives will provide better fuel efficiency and longer overhaul cycles than other units in Pakistan today, substantially reducing the costs of transporting essential freight. We are proud to be able to provide this much-needed technology and help develop the future of the country’s transportation sector in collaboration with Pakistan Railways.”