ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways has decided to build a dedicated corridor for freight train service between Karachi Port and Pipri yard, for which a 50 kilometre-long double track will be laid.

At a meeting held at the ministry of railways on Tuesday, it was decided that containers will be transported from Karachi Port to Pipri through freight shuttle train on the new track. The double track will be built with the assistance of private sector on the basis of build-operate-transfer (BOT).

According to details, containers would be brought from Karachi Port to Pipri Yard where, after customs clearance, goods will be transported to all destinations across the country.

The ministry will hire services of a consultant to carry out the feasibility of the project, for which tenders will be floated in the next few days, the ministry said.

This measure of railways will not only reduce the burden of traffic on Karachi city roads but also open new business opportunities for exporters and provide revenue worth billions of rupees to the government. The Karachi Port has the average capacity of handling three million containers ann­ually, according the ministry of railways.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2020