Trains Everywhere

These trains, which were exported to Pakistan by Korail after repairs, are on trial runs before being used commercially at the end of this month.
These trains, which were exported to Pakistan by Korail after repairs, are on trial runs before being used commercially at the end of this month.

 

The Korea Railroad Corporation (Korail) announced on June 23 that it has successfully completed a contract with the Pakistani National Logistics Cell (NLC), which was signed in July 2012, to repair and export second-hand diesel locomotives.

The national railroad operator has delivered 10 used trains to Pakistani NLC and is accelerating finishing work, including trial runs, before being used commercially at the end of this month.

In particular, this is the first time to export Korean trains after changing its railway’s standard gauge of 1.435 meters to the broad gauge of 1.676 meters. Korail successfully completed the remodeling over a period of six months and delivered the 10 second-hand locomotives by Nov. 2013.

Since then, the railroad operator spent a year changing the equipment so that it meets the conditions of rail services in Pakistan. Also, it has trained locomotive engineers and tested operations, facing historic commercial operations.

Starting with the export of the used trains, Korail will export its advanced maintenance techniques for diesel locomotives to Pakistani railways for the next two years as its maintenance consulting services. Also, it is expected to play a role as a catalyst for additional railroad operation businesses.

Besides the used train export business last year, Korail has generated approximately 18.2 billion won (US$16.47 million) in sales by winning urban railway improvement projects in Manila, Philippines, providing railway consulting services in Tanzania and Bangladesh, and running customized training programs in the railroad related sector in Russia and Kazakhstan.

Based on such results, Korail is positively seeking business advances in railway operation and maintenance in the Philippines and Vietnam.

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