Cargo worth Rs50b stranded at dry ports

Railways freight business almost paralysed because of locomotive shortage.

ISLAMABAD:

The grinding halt of Pakistan Railway’s (PR) freight service ultimately causes a loss of up to Rs50 billion to the national exchequer, official documents available with The Express Tribune reveal.

The documents reveal that PR’s freight business is almost completely paralysed, due to a shortage of locomotives. To make matters worse, the cross-border train service between Pakistan and India is also suspended and cargo worth Rs50 billion has been grounded at various dry ports.

In Karachi, cargo due to be transported on 1,002 bogies has remained in the dry port for several weeks due to the shortage of locomotives. In Lahore, nearly 488 bogies set for India and loaded with cement, salt and other items have remained stationary.

Pakistan Railways once possessed a fleet of at least 100 locomotives, but now the figure has reduced to almost zero.

The documents further reveal that last November PR’s freight business earned Rs2.48 billion. However, it has failed to earn a single penny this October.

Sources say that besides business and revenue, PR is of significant strategic importance, being a reliable mode of transportation of weapons and ammunition for Pakistan’s military.

Data on PR’s freight wagon shows that 21 locomotives are being repaired, while three locomotives are completely non-functional.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 19^th, 2011.