Montreal - Five officers of the Pakistan Railways have returned home with some newly acquired North American railway expertise, following a four-month training program conducted by Canadian Pacific Consulting Services Ltd. (CPCS).

  The program sponsored by the World Bank, included training in management practices and courses on railway operations, locomotive maintenance, signals and telecommunications.

  The five officers are part of an eight-man team of trainees. The remaining trainees will complete the program in March and April.

  "The CPCS training program is the result of a new thrust by international development agencies to aid developing nations in the acquisition of new technology, and to ensure they have the knowledge to operate and advance that technology," said Ed Oram, senior training officer for CPCS.

  The program took the trainees to most major railway and telecommunications centres in Canada and the U.S., including CP Telecommunications and CP Rail. It involved theoretical sessions with experts in general railway operations, microwave systems, and locomotive maintenance.

  A trip through the Rocky Mountains aboard a 108 car coal unit train was designed to demonstrate how CP Rail has successfully adapted railway technology to the rugged interior of British Columbia. It dramatized the railway's important role in enabling Canada to profitably export its abundant natural resources.

  Upon arrival in Canada in October, the trainees were given an intensive introduction to Canadian society with guided tours of Montreal and Toronto, films on lifestyles and customs, and general discussions with CPCS training officers.

  Planning of the training program began in Pakistan where the senior training officer conducted a preliminary needs study to determine the specific requirements of the Pakistan Railways. Lifestyles and customs were also noted in order to better accommodate the trainees during their stay in Canada.

  METHODS and SKILLS

  "By bringing the trainees here, they got to see first-hand our methods and skills," said Mr. Oram. "We believe that instruction in a foreign environment will successfully be extended to other groups of railway employees in Pakistan and in other countries."

  Other major projects CPCS has underway include feasibility studies for a major coal mine, supporting transportation systems in Indonesia, and the construction of a 1,500 kilometre railway to move iron ore in Algeria.

  The company is also conducting technical studies in railway management and operations in the Ivory Coast, and is co-ordinator and project manager for the renovation of a portion of the Costa Rica railway to facilite the export of bananas.