Karachi handles 99pc of country's cargo through roads: Call to shift road freight to railways

Business Recorder

28-05-2025

KARACHI: Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Mehmood ur Rehman Lakho has said that Karachi handles 99 percent of Pakistan's cargo that needs to be diverted from roads to railways otherwise the city will continue to face deterioration in its road infrastructure caused by the movement of outbound heavy vehicles using the roads of Karachi to reach their destinations in the upcountry.
Exchanging views at a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mehmood ur Rehman added that the purpose for his visit to the largest Chamber of country was to explore ways and means for reviving and strengthening rail freight connectivity from Karachi to major industrial and commercial hubs of Pakistan.
'Shifting to rail freight is not only economically beneficial but also environmentally responsible, as rail transport is three times more fuel-efficient than road freight, which in turn reduces carbon emissions, saves foreign exchange on fuel imports, and eases the burden on highways,' he added.
Senior Vice President Zia ul Arfeen, Vice President Faisal Khalil Ahmed, Deputy Division Superintendent Operational PR Hamid Farooq Qureshi, Deputy Divisional Superintendent Rolling Stock PR M Ferhan Awan along with other senior PR Officials and KCCI Managing Committee members attended the meeting.
Divisional Superintendent PR highlighted that Pakistan Railways has taken significant steps to modernize its freight operations over the past decade. Between 2013 and 2015, more than 1,400 new hopper wagons, over 2,000 high-capacity flat wagons, and 55 modern locomotives were inducted into the fleet. These wagons have dramatically increased the payload capacity from an average of 20 tons to 60 tons per wagon, allowing each train to carry over 4,000 tons of cargo.
The Divisional Engineer expressed concern over the delayed implementation of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which was initially envisioned to be a game-changer for the country's rail infrastructure. He said that without ML-1, Pakistan Railways remains constrained in its capacity to deliver long-haul, high-speed cargo services across Karachi, Sukkur, Multan, and onward to the northern zones.
He also informed the gathering that Pakistan Railways is working on ambitious plans to revive international rail freight services connecting Karachi to Moscow via Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan — a corridor that would unlock new export markets for Pakistani goods, especially textiles and industrial products.
Mehmood Lakho further shared that Pakistan Railways is now exploring modern logistics models such as multimodal freight movement, dedicated industrial cargo trains for Karachi's export-oriented sectors, and the potential introduction of Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) wagons where loaded trucks can be directly transported via train to their destinations, thus bypassing congested highways and reducing fuel and maintenance costs.
He added that the department is ready to work closely with KCCI and its members to identify freight priorities and launch pilot routes connecting Karachi with Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar.
Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala, while appreciating the visit of the railway officials, described it as a much-needed effort to bridge the gap between Pakistan Railways and the business community.
He stated that Pakistan Railways had historically been the backbone of trade and industrial logistics in the country, but due to neglect, mismanagement, and rising reliance on road transport, the railways had lost its significance. 'As a result, logistics costs have increased dramatically, roads have deteriorated due to overuse, and the entire supply chain has become more vulnerable to disruptions such as fuel shortages, political protests, and highway closures.'
Motiwala emphasized that a strong and reliable freight rail network would bring enormous benefits to Karachi's industries, which are currently suffering from slow inland movement of raw materials and finished goods.
He stated that freight trains are not only cost-effective and timely, but also safer, more secure, and more resilient to external shocks compared to road transport. Karachi's roads, he noted, are severely congested with heavy trucks passing through densely populated areas, creating traffic bottlenecks, pollution, and road damage. Rehabilitating and expanding railway cargo services would drastically reduce the burden on urban infrastructure and improve the efficiency of trade logistics, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, President KCCI Jawed Bilwani underscored the urgent need to revive rail cargo operations as a strategic imperative for Pakistan's economy. He said that Karachi, being the industrial and commercial capital of Pakistan, lacks the road infrastructure to shoulder the logistics burden of the entire country.
With hundreds of thousands of trucks entering and exiting the city daily, the road network has deteriorated beyond repair, and the city frequently experiences supply chain paralysis due to traffic jams, strikes, and fuel-related disruptions.
He noted that countries that maintain low logistics costs, particularly through rail, achieve greater industrial growth and better export competitiveness. He strongly advocated for launching dedicated cargo trains to and from Karachi's industrial zones, which are home to the nation's leading exporters.
He stressed that Pakistan Railways must explore operational models that include the introduction of Roll-on/Roll-off wagons to transport entire trucks by train, the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) not only for passengers but also for freight, and the rationalization of excessive and unaffordable charges imposed on industrial rail crossings and private sidings.
Bilwani proposed the formation of a joint working committee between KCCI and Pakistan Railways to develop and oversee freight service pilots, align schedules with port timings, resolve customs clearance challenges at dry ports, and ensure sustained engagement between public and private stakeholders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025