RISALPUR , Sep 02 (APP):Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Wednesday visited the Pakistan locomotive factory Risalpur and reviewed its various sections, production activities, locomotive repair and rehabilitation work, and local manufacturing of spare parts. During his detailed visit, the minister directed that the Risalpur Locomotive Factory be completely revamped according to international standards and its 100 per cent production capacity be utilised. He stressed the need to …
Risalpur Locomotive factory to be revamped according to international standards: Hanif Abbasi
RISALPUR , Sep 02 (APP):Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Wednesday visited the Pakistan locomotive factory Risalpur and reviewed its various sections, production activities, locomotive repair and rehabilitation work, and local manufacturing of spare parts.
During his detailed visit, the minister directed that the Risalpur Locomotive Factory be completely revamped according to international standards and its 100 per cent production capacity be utilised.
He stressed the need to adopt modern technology, promote technology transfer and reverse engineering, and enhance local manufacturing of spare parts using indigenous resources.
The minister directed that the production and rehabilitation of AGE-30 locomotives be completed on a priority basis.
He said the factory’s capacity should be fully utilised to meet the requirements of Pakistan Railways.
He also decided to start manufacturing 400 hopper wagons from January 2027.
He directed the authorities to develop various products at the factory while keeping the requirements of the private sector in view.
The minister ordered that all trains should have fully functional braking systems by December 31, 2026, to further improve safety and operational efficiency.
During a briefing, the minister was informed that 300 spare parts had been manufactured locally at the Risalpur factory as import substitutes. The initiative had resulted in foreign exchange savings of Rs2.6 billion.
The minister was further informed that the modernisation of 15 AGE-30 locomotives was under way under the SR-100 project. Another 16 AGE-30 diesel-electric locomotives were planned for rehabilitation from September 2026 to February 2027.
Under the 820 hopper wagons project, the Risalpur factory had been assigned 230 ZBKCO open-top wagons, of which 147 had already been completed.
The minister directed the authorities to complete the remaining 83 open-top wagons by November 30, 2026.
Muhammad Hanif Abbasi also met workers and engineers at the factory and listened to their problems. He directed the relevant authorities to resolve their legitimate issues immediately.
He called for special attention to technical training, human resources and enhancing the capacity of the workforce.
The minister said the Risalpur Locomotive Factory was an important national asset of Pakistan Railways and a symbol of the institution’s prestige. He said the factory would be transformed into a modern, fully functional and productive facility.
He added that Pakistan Railways would be made self-reliant in the manufacturing and repair of locomotives, wagons and spare parts by fully utilising the capacity of the Risalpur factory.
