Pakistan Railways launches Pakistan’s first ever ‘Reefer Freight Train’

Honorable Captain Haleem Ahmed Siddiqui (Chairman Marine Group of Companies), Mr. Aasim Azim Siddiqui (Managing Director Marine Group of Companies), Mr. Nasir Yousuf Kapadia (Head of Commercial Department (Pakistan International Limited), Mr. Imran Bawany, (CEO CMA – CGM), Mr. Javed Ahmed Siddiqui (CEO, PRFTC), Mr. Ibrahim Memon (Director Engineering, PRFTC), Mr. Shahid Samo (Deputy DS, Karachi), along with other notable personalities of the industry were present to grace the occasion and appreciated the government and private sector’s combined initiative for enhancing trade activity in the country

Karachi, January 10, 2022: As a major breakthrough in national logistics & cargo infrastructure, Pakistan Railways successfully launches country’s first ever Reefer Freight Train aiming to provide more economical and environment friendly freight solutions.

According to details, Marine Group of Companies in collaboration with Pakistan Railways achieved the milestone by operating Pakistan’s first ever containerized refrigerated train in Dec 2021 which departed from dry port of Marine International Container Terminal (MICT) Prem Nagar, Lahore and arrived at Wazir Mansion Karachi.

This intermodal cold chain solution enabled by ‘Pakistan Railways Freight Transportation Company’ (PRFTC) who facilitates the rail infrastructure operated by ‘Pakistan Intermodal Limited’ (PIL) and CMA CGM Pakistan providing commercial support for this new cold chain corridor.

Since the past 05 years Pakistan Intermodal Ltd is playing a pivotal role in operating containerized freight trains in Pakistan and realizing the potential of Reefer containers, operated Pakistan’s first ever reefer block train carrying 24 Units – 40 feet reefers of CMA CGM Pakistan from MICT – Dry port at Prem Nagar – Lahore to Wazir Mansion Karachi and transported the Reefer box through PakGo trucking short haul services to Karachi Port completing the journey successfully.

The new operational phase begins with one train a week with plans for this service to operate twelve trains in a month. Freight trains can minimize the delivery time and reduce emissions to the atmosphere of greenhouse gasses. On average, railroads are three to four times more fuel efficient than trucks. That means moving freight by rail instead of trucks lowers greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75%, on average.

As more and more road-based reefer cargo finds its way to more economically and environmentally viable options. Pakistan Intermodal Limited (PIL) reefer block train system can generate billions of rupees annually in revenue for Pakistan Railways if the containerized freight trains are operated on schedule.