Pakistan Railways first-ever Afghan transit trade train is all set to depart from Karachi on Saturday with nearly 35 containers, officials said. The train is expected to unload its cargo across the border in Afghanistan on Monday.
The service, named Goods in Afghan Transit (Gita), is likely to fetch a sizeable amount of revenue for Pakistan Railways (PR). Pakistan has already declared 2020 as the "freight year" to supply its cargoes through the PR not only within its land jurisdiction but also across the border into Afghanistan. About five to seven Gita service trains are expected to run in a month mainly depending on the availability of cargo. Sources in Pakistan Railways said Gita service was to be operated from 2017, but the law and order situation across the border did not let the PR start the service then.
Meanwhile, a ceremony to mark the occasion was held here. It was attended by the Chairman of Pakistan Railways, Habib-ur-Rehman Gillani, the Divisional Superintendent (DS) of Karachi Division, Nisar Memon, and other officials. The freight train service to Afghanistan is one of the major milestones of PR which will enhance the revenue generation via transportation of goods. Besides reducing the traffic flow from major roads and highways, the addition of cross-border train in the existing cargo fleet will help in curtailing the income-expenditure gap of Pakistan Railways.
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