Private sector poised to run Cargo Express

Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) President Farooq Yousaf Sheikh has welcomed Pakistan Railways' decision to hand over the commercial management of its Cargo Express service to the private sector and urged the railway authorities to route the proposed train through Faisalabad to facilitate the growing import and export requirements of the city. In a statement on Saturday, he said that according to the proposed arrangement, Cargo Express trains – 505 Up and 506 Down – would operate between Karachi and Rawalpindi/Peshawar, with the pre-bid meeting scheduled for October 15 and the deadline for submission of prequalification applications set for October 22. Welcoming the initiative, the FCCI president said that Faisalabad being a major industrial and export-oriented centre should be incorporated into the Cargo Express route so that local exporters and importers could benefit directly from a faster and more efficient rail-based freight service.