Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Railways has decided to construct a special freight corridor by laying a 50-kilometre-long double-track line between Karachi Port and Pipri Yard, the spokesperson said Tuesday. The spokesperson said a double-track line will be laid for running freight shuttle train for transporting containers between Karachi Port and Marshalling Yard Pipri. He said Karachi Port possesses capacity of average three million containers annually and the new project will reduce traffic burden on the Karachi’s roads. He added the special freight corridor will also generate a huge revenue for the railway sector. The spokesperson said that the ministry will acquire services of a firm for conducting feasibility study of the project. Earlier in December last year, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed had announced a 10 per cent reduction in fares of freight trains. Addressing a news conference, he said the fares of freight trains are being cut by 10 per cent from midnight tonight. The minister reaffirmed his commitment to turn the Railways into a profitable institution by completely overcoming its deficit within three years. He said that Pakistan is the only country in the world where passenger trains are generating profit. He said the Main Line One, which envisaged 1,872 kilometer long new track from Karachi to Lahore, will be a historic project in the 72-year history of the country. It will generate 100,000 job opportunities, he added. It is pertinent to mention that General Manager, China Harbor Engineering Company (CHEC) Wang Xiao Feng called on the Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed where both sides discussed matters of mutual cooperation and the minister asked the general manager of CHEC to give concrete proposals for the development of Pakistan Railways. The CHEC showed interest in working with Pakistan Railways at Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) basis for construction of Inland Container Depot (dry port) at Marshalling Yard Pipri (MYP), and rehabilitation of railway lines in Karachi Port and MYP. The company also showed interest in use of railway network to operate shuttle freight trains to transport containers between Karachi Port and Marshalling Yard Pipri.
