PM directs increase in freight trains

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed Pakistan Railways to increase the number of freight trains as part of the government's fuel conservation policy.

According to the Pakistan Railways headquarters in Lahore, steps are being accelerated to shift cargo transportation from roads to railways to reduce fuel consumption.

In this regard, Pakistan Railways has started contacting chambers of commerce and trade organizations and has invited traders and industrialists to book freight through the railway network.

Officials said rail transport is the cheapest mode of freight movement compared with other means of transportation. Pakistan Railways is fully prepared to expand freight operations. On the railways minister's direction, the manufacturing of freight wagons has been expedited on an emergency basis.

Authorities expect an increase in the number of freight trains in the near future, which will help save fuel at the national level.

Since the start of a war in the Gulf following an attack on Iran by the United States and Israel and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the world is facing a disruption in fuel supply.

In this scenario, the Government of Pakistan has also taken a slew of measures to reduce fuel use, including reducing official fleets and workdays.