Azeem A Khan

Pakistan Railways plans to start Peshawar-Karachi cargo express train service, which will provide a massive boost to business activities. Chairman of Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (SCCI) Standing Committee on Railways, Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, said while talking to WealthPK that the decision came owing to the increasing demands from the country’s business sector.

He said the business community involved in import, export, and trade with Afghanistan has praised the plan of the Peshawar cargo express train. According to Pakistan Railways, the planned Peshawar cargo express train will daily chug on its main line between Peshawar City Station and Karachi City Station, with stops at Lahore and Rawalpindi for attaching and detaching zonal bulk consignment (ZBC) load. The train will leave Peshawar with a cargo load of 10 ZBCs, add five ZBCs from Rawalpindi, and multiple ZBCs from Lahore to Karachi.

The ZBC load refers to a type of freight train that carries multiple types of goods or commodities in bulk quantities over long distances. This train may carry different types of goods, such as coal, cement, food grains, fertilisers, chemicals, and other raw materials or finished products.

Sarhadi said transportation of raw materials to various industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province from Sindh’s port city of Karachi could generate revenue for Pakistan Railways. He said shipments of various export items, such as gemstones, minerals, furniture, fruits, handicrafts, herbal products, and matchsticks, are sent every day from Peshawar to Karachi and will eventually be sent by the planned freight train.

The SCCI representative said the Peshawar-Karachi 1,500-tonne capacity freight train would not only serve as a source of income for the Railways Department, but also address several issues that the business sector is now having with the transportation of goods between Karachi and Peshawar via trucks and trailers.

He stated that the cost of transporting goods between Karachi and Peshawar has significantly increased due to rising petroleum product prices, placing a significant hardship on businesspeople. He said regular and dedicated cargo rail service would lower operating costs, boost global competitiveness, and lessen fuel pollution. He said sending a product by rail is more secure than road transport.

Sarhadi, who is also the President of the Frontier Customs Clearing Agents Association, said transporting goods by cargo train will also revive the lost livelihood of more than 270 customs clearing agents in KP province, and make the newly-constructed Azakhel dry port operational. He requested the Railways Department to start operations of the Peshawar cargo train as soon as possible to support businesspeople across the country.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk