Railways as Industry and Service Enterprise
All the four industrial revolutions, starting from 1st Industrial Revolution in 1840 to 2nd Revolution from 1850 onwards, 3rd Revolution from 1950 onwards and now the ongoing 4th Industrial Revolution from 2020 onwards, have resulted in transformation of different industries, thus enhancing economic strength of nation states through innovative researches in different technology universities.
Railways also evolved as industry and service world-wide through these industrial revolutions to provide improved traveling comfort to its users besides shrinking the distances.
It is worth highlighting that 3rdIndustrial revolution had been able to enhance railways speed from 160 to 400 plus kms/hour for high speed trains.
As a leading industry and owing to importance of railways, huge investmentsare done globally by different countries.
Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways is the legacy of the Britishers’ who established it for strategic purposes to strengthen their defence capabilities besides using it for an effective administrative control over various regions of British India.
In Pakistan, the first railway line was laid between Karachi City and Kotri in 1861 with a total length of 169 Kms.
At the time of Independence, a total of 8561 km long railway trackbecame property of North- Western Railways (NWR).
At the moment,Pakistan Railways owns 7791 Km long track across the country, thus showing 9% reduction after the independence.
While it shows decline in the performance of Pakistan Railways, it equally reflects unsatisfactoryperformance in terms of annual losses running into billions of rupees and widespread dissatisfaction about its performance.
This ignominy of Pakistan Railways is the result of many factors including bad governance, low investments in all fields including technology upgradations and deferred assets maintenance.
But one of the major contributors of this pitiable performance is the lack of well-trained technical manpower which can catch-up with the ever changing railway technologies and service demands.
It is unfortunate to highlight that after 1947 no academic / research program has ever been launched in any of Pakistan’s universities on railway engineering, technologiesandskills due to non-existent futuristic railway visionto maintain itas mass transit system, defence, industrial and trans-frontier strategic asset.
In last 10 years CPEC based ML-1, 2 & 3 projects have emerged as new dimension of Pakistan Railways, and however, these projects present strategic revival opportunities and progression scenarios for our railways.
While Peoples Republic of China shall play leading role in development and upgradation of ML 1, Pakistan Railways must look for national partners in upgradation, maintenance and effective railway operations of ML 1 and beyond.
Pakistan Railways and National University of Technology Collaboration Capitalizing on CPEC challenges and opportunities, Pak Railways needs to develop its capacities in terms of technologies upgrades, improvement in governance and creation of critically required HR for effective operations and maintenance of its fleet.
Realizing these critical requirements, in early 2021, both Pak Railways and NUTECH have joined hands to undertake a strategic project of research and development for creation of indigenous railway technologies, professional skills and upskilling of existing HR.
In this context, NUTECH team has undertaken an extensive feasibility study for establishment pf NUTECH Railway Engineering, Technologies and Skills School (NURETSS) which is envisioned to become hub of knowledge; creating, developing, implementing, promoting, transforming and exporting existing, emerging and future innovative railway technologies and skills of 3rd and 4th industrial revolutions in the 21st Century.
The vision entails developing Pakistan Railways as one of the modern railway passengers and cargo transportation service.
NURETSS will comprise departments, centers, institutes and research labs which will function as hubs for creation of new railway technologies, produce applied research scientists and technology developers capable of working at the leading edge of emerging railway technologies.
To support 4th Industrial revolution, NURETSS will establish strong and sustainable intellectual, academic and research based collaborative links with the leading international railway technology institutes, universities, and research centers, railway industry of West Europe, Russia, China and Japan.
NUTECH plans to establish NURETSS as strategic initiative with PC-1 cost of Rs 9.34 Billion (0.81 % of total ML-1 project Cost).
In return, NURETSS shall actively support ML-1, 2, 3 projects of CPEC and develop highly professional expert human resource and skills for our national railway and allied industry to achieve economic development of Pakistan.
NURETSS is conceived as bastion of latest innovative railway and allied technologies based products, systems, manufacturing processes and services for ML-1, 2 & 3 CPEC projects in future.
In the process, NURETSS will facilitate transformation of allied railway industry into high value-added exports driven international enterprises of tomorrow.
NURETSS will comprise NUTECH School of Engineering and Technology (NUSET), Advanced Railway Technologies Innovation Center (ARTIC) and NUTECH Institute of Vocational & Technical Skills (NIVATS).
ARTIC labs will develop high-speed rail (HSR) technologies and critical HR in collaboration with relevant foreign universities and industries.
NIVATS will identify, prepare competencies and skill sets in the CPEC projects based skills required in cutting-edge emerging technologies.
NUTECH will support Walton Railway Academy up-gradation and Apprentice School curriculum revamping to address requisite skills training.
Transformation of Pakistan Railways
NURETSS shall form the basis of transforming Pakistan Railways into technologically advanced enterprise of 21stCentury by developing railwaysand all allied national industry comprising around 17 sectors through technologies, skills and HR development.
For this purposea tripartite MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways (MoR), Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and NUTECH with the status of executing agency to undertake and resolve the challenges of ML-1, 2 and 3 projects.
The HR created in NURETSS would be beneficial for Pak Railways to undertake up-gradation of the ML-1, 2 and 3 projects efficiently besides their operation andmaintenance.
NURETSS project has been approved by the Planning Commission of Pakistan and shall be established in NUTECH Main Campus near Chakri on M 2 Motorway from FY 22/23 onwards.
In the meantime feasibility study of ARTIC is being undertaken jointly by HEC, MoR and NUTECH so as to establish the basis and requirements for indigenous railways technologies creation and upgrades by involving universities, R&D set ups and allied industries in Pakistan.
Beyond doubt, investment of approximate Rs 10.0 billion in NURETSS shall help in converting Pakistan Railways into futuristic railways of Pakistan.
