Rail freight revival crucial to easing Karachi’s road congestion, say stakeholders

KARACHI: Divisional Superintendent of Pakistan Railways Mehmoodur Rehman Lakho has said that Karachi handles 99 per cent of Pakistan’s cargo, which must be diverted from roads to railways. Otherwise, the city will continue to suffer from the deterioration of its road infrastructure caused by heavy outbound vehicles traversing its roads to reach upcountry destinations.

Speaking during a meeting at the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Lakho said the purpose of his visit to the country’s largest chamber was to explore ways to revive and strengthen rail freight connectivity between Karachi and major industrial and commercial hubs across Pakistan. “Shifting to rail freight is not only economically beneficial but also environmentally responsible. Rail transport is three times more fuel-efficient than road freight, which helps reduce carbon emissions, saves foreign exchange on fuel imports and relieves pressure on highways,” he noted.

Lakho highlighted that the railways has taken significant steps to modernise its freight operations over the past decade. Between 2013 and 2015, over 1,400 new hopper wagons, 2,000 high-capacity flat wagons and 55 modern locomotives were added to the fleet. These additions have boosted payload capacity from an average of 20 tonnes to 60 tonnes per wagon, allowing each train to carry over 4,000 tonnes of cargo.

He expressed concern over the delayed implementation of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), originally envisioned as a game-changer for Pakistan’s rail infrastructure.

Without ML-1, the railways remains constrained in its ability to offer long-haul, high-speed cargo services across Karachi, Sukkur, Multan, and onwards to the northern regions.

Lakho 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 could unlock new export markets for Pakistani goods, especially textiles and industrial products.

He added that the railways is exploring modern logistics models such as multimodal freight movement, dedicated industrial cargo trains for Karachi’s export-oriented sectors and the introduction of Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) wagons, which would allow loaded trucks to be transported directly by train, bypassing congested highways and reducing fuel and maintenance costs. He said the department is ready to collaborate with the KCCI and its members to identify freight priorities and launch pilot routes linking Karachi with Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and Peshawar.

Chairman of the Businessmen Group (BMG) Zubair Motiwala welcomed the visit by railway officials, calling it a much-needed effort to bridge the gap between Pakistan Railways and the business community. He said the railways had historically served as the backbone of the country’s trade and industrial logistics. However, due to neglect, mismanagement and growing reliance on road transport, the sector had lost its significance. “As a result, logistics costs have soared, roads have deteriorated from overuse, and the entire supply chain has become more vulnerable to disruptions such as fuel shortages, political protests, and highway closures.” Motiwala said Karachi’s industries, already grappling with slow inland movement of raw materials and finished goods, would benefit enormously from a strong and reliable freight rail network. He noted that freight trains are not only more cost-effective and timely but also safer and more resilient to external shocks than road transport. Karachi’s roads, he added, are choked with heavy trucks moving through densely populated areas, causing traffic congestion, pollution and road damage. Expanding and rehabilitating railway cargo services would significantly reduce the strain on urban infrastructure and improve logistics efficiency.

KCCI President Jawed Bilwani also emphasised the urgent need to revive rail cargo operations as a strategic priority for the country’s economy. He said that Karachi, as Pakistan’s industrial and commercial capital, lacks the road infrastructure to bear the logistics burden of the entire country. With hundreds of thousands of trucks entering and exiting the city daily, the road network is deteriorating rapidly, and frequent supply chain breakdowns occur due to traffic jams, strikes, and fuel-related disruptions.

Bilwani noted that countries that maintain low logistics costs -- particularly through rail -- achieve stronger industrial growth and export competitiveness. He called for dedicated cargo trains to and from Karachi’s industrial zones, which house many of the nation’s top exporters. He urged Pakistan Railways to explore operational models including the introduction of RoRo wagons to transport entire trucks by train, the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) for freight services as well as passengers, and the rationalisation of excessive charges on industrial rail crossings and private sidings.

Bilwani proposed the formation of a joint working committee between the KCCI and the railways to develop and oversee pilot freight services, align train schedules with port operations, resolve customs clearance challenges at dry ports, and ensure sustained engagement between public and private stakeholders.