Railways. Most of us are very familiar with the deterioration of Pakistan’s Railway system. Trains are not exactly the preferred mode of travel for the majority of our country’s people, preferring road and air over slow trains. However, there is an aspect of the Railway system that we have been ignoring for the past few decades-the role of the train in Pakistan’s supply chain.
Not only this, but if developed and marketed properly, trains can become an efficient, green, and profitable mode of intra and inter-city transport. Train crashes, unprofitable trains, mismanagement, and shifting of our priorities to the road system for personal gain has left our rail system in complete shambles. Both in the eyes of the public as a viable mode of travel, and also on the ground.
The development of a country is directly related to efficient logistics. Efficient transport is necessary for the supply chain to function at an optimum level, driving down costs and reducing time constraints when it comes to the different kinds of freight that needs to be taken across the nation. One of the main reasons for the development of the continental United States was the establishment of a road network that allowed for freedom of movement across the country, encouraging trade and travel.
Aspiring actors move to Los Angeles, workers move to New York, and those seeking more freedom than afforded elsewhere move to Texas. With ease. The roads then served as blood vessels for the kinds of supply chains to be established to feed the growing consumerism across the country. Be that as it may, one cannot deny the kind of development caused by a healthy transportation system for any country.
However, there is growing consensus that there is a more primitive, yet better and more efficient mode of travel that can reduce costs and increase efficiency than trucking can ever seek to provide. Trains. Most industrialization throughout the world came with steam engines powering trains and ships farther and faster than ever before. Even in the 21st century it is clear that where shipping containers and cargo ships are the best way to move things on water, the train is the cargo ship of the land.
Let us take a look at the history of the rail system in Pakistan, its downfall and the emergence of trucks on roads that replaced it, and why that is a bad thing for the country.
The History of Trains in Pakistan
Upon achieving its hard-fought independence, Pakistan came away with more than eight thousand kilometers of railways primed to helped the development of a young country. Within a year, Pakistan Railways (a public sector organization previously known as Pakistan Western Railways) became profitable. By 1955 the rail network had grown to such an extent that it was able to connect East and West Pakistan. In the times when cars were not as cheap and the road network was not that well established, the rail network was the only real connection between the country as it sought to power through political and economic turmoil into a stable and sound nation. The rail system was the favorite mode of travel and contributed to the economic expansion by being the mode for transport for three quarters of total freight in the country.
Downfall
However, this was not to last. Despite being the most efficient form of travel and freight transport, between the 60s and 2010, the railways deteriorated so much to become insignificant. Less than 5% of the total freight in Pakistan was transported through the railways by 2011. Declining number of passengers caused numerous stations to be closed and financial cutbacks in favor of investment in roads by successive governments caused rapid deterioration of Pakistan Railways.
Unfortunately, inefficiency and disuse are not the only causes for the downfall of Pakistan Railways. Political interference, mismanagement, and corruption has been the major causes for the kind of neglect the organization has faced since the late 70s and early 80s.
As with most publicly owned sectors, railways suffered from nepotism and political appointments, promotions, and shifting that was done with no accounting for merit or fairness. This rooted out honest and competent workers in favor of lazy and politically backed individuals with no motivation to improve the organization.
The Current Situation
The department deficit last year for Pakistan Railways was almost 50 Billion rupees. There were almost 500 train accidents and close to 300 deaths from 2018 to the current year alone. The past government saw Railways incur a loss of 1.6 trillion rupees and there seems to be no way of making the system profitable in the foreseeable future.
The railways are unfortunately a long-term solution, and us as a country seem not to be interested in long-term solutions. Mostly because they take a long time to come into play, and we as a nation are highly prone to wanting quick and easy (if superficial) solutions. The railway requires heavy investment and proper care now as the infrastructure deteriorates overtime and needs expensive replacements, even if these are much cheaper than road maintenance overtime. Besides, local politicians cannot benefit as much from kickbacks from a train network requiring slow and long-term upkeep. They much rather prefer road sections they can destroy and rebuild and ask for bidders once every six months.
In any case, it is better to look at the benefits that a train-based supply-chain has over a truck and road based one over time.
Why Prefer Trains?
Train freights cost less per large volume of material to be transported. This is because of fuel saving per unit of cargo being transported as well as less cost for the upkeep of driver and maintenance staff per train. Converting from road to rail can save as much as 40% of the cost of shipping and be more efficient of a system than there was in place before.
Furthermore, a double stacked train can carry as much load as almost 300 loaded trucks. This helps achieve the kind of economy of scale that allows for more profit margins and cheaper goods. Trains are also more reliable than trucks on roads more vulnerable to human error or accidents.
While there is room for trucks and roads when it comes to perishables and time-sensitive transport of goods, trains are by far the best mode of transport when it comes to everything else.
Hopefully, in the future, we can have a government that realizes this and chooses to invest in a system that has been the backbone of this country for more than half a century.
