The Hindu Business Line : Pakistan may send rly officials here for training

A day after the Pakistan President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, left India, a three-member delegation of senior Railway officials from Pakistan visited the Lucknow-based Research, Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) of the Indian Railways.

The visiting team consisted of the Minister of State (Railways), Mr Ishaq Khan Khakwane, the Pakistan Railway's Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mr Mohd Hiyat Malik, and the Karachi Circular Railways Project Director, Mr Izaz Hussain Khilji.

When contacted, the RDSO Director-General, Mr A. K. Rao, told Business Line, "The team was exploring the possibility of sending Railway officers for training at the RDSO."

The team wanted to familiarise themselves with the research facilities at the RDSO.

"We took them around our different laboratories and shared various projects the RDSO is working on at present," he said.

Asked if any proposal was firmed up, Mr Rao replied in the negative and added, "That (request) will, of course, have to be decided through diplomatic channels."

The ISO 9001-2000 certified RDSO has various directorates that include those on bridges and structures, carriage, defence research, electrical loco, EMU and power supply, engine development, finance and accounts, geo-technical engineering, quality assurance, metallurgical and chemical, psycho-technical, research, signal, telecommunication, track, testing, track machines and monitoring, traction installation, traffic and wagon.

Given the recent decision to open the rail link between Khokhrapar in Sindh (Pakistan) and Munnabao in Rajasthan, the delegation's visit to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and now to the RDSO, appears to be rail diplomacy at work.

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