Pakistan Railways (PR) can boost its revenue by increasing and innovating freight transportation. An official of Pakistan Railways informed WealthPK that rail tracks in Pakistan bear the maximum axle load of 25 tonnes.
He said though various goods are transported via the rail network, the coal is the main product – which is hauled from Karachi to all parts of the country, particularly to Pind Dadan Khan in Punjab and Nowshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He added that the goal of connectivity under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is unattainable without upgrading the Main Line-1, also known as ML-1, of Pakistan Railways. “The refurbishment and expansion of ML-1 is critical in transforming the PR.” “It will be myopic to focus entirely on the road infrastructure to improve logistics performance. Logistics through rail is a far more viable option. The government should invest in laying the railway tracks afresh in order to make them the primary means of inland freight in Pakistan.”
