Dubai: Global marine terminal operator DP World has added new muscle to its operations in Pakistan with the official opening of its state-of-the-art inland container terminal (ICT) in Lahore, the country's second largest city.
DP World Lahore, known as the Prem Nagar Dry Port, was inaugurated by Shahid Hussain Raza, Chairman of Pakistan's Ministry of Railways, at a ceremony attended by top government officials and representatives of DP World.
DP World Lahore, the first Public Private Partnership (PPP) project by the Ministry of Railways, is well positioned to serve Pakistan's largest hinterland market — the Lahore-Sahiwal region — and is directly linked by rail to Qasim International Container Terminal (QICT), a premier gateway port managed and operated by DP World Karachi more than 1,000km away.
Commitment
Mohammad Sharaf, Chief Executive Officer of DP World, said: "DP World Lahore is another example of our commitment to Pakistan's development following the recent successful expansion of our terminal facilities at Port Qasim. Our investments here are in direct response to the growth we have been experiencing in the region."
"We thank the Government of Pakistan for collaborating with DP World to create their first PPP project involving the railways. We believe the local community will benefit immensely from this partnership."
The ICT's inauguration closely follows the opening of Terminal 2 in Port Qasim on January 12, which expanded QICT's capacity from 900,000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent container units) to around 1.2 million TEU, part of DP World's three-phase development plans in Pakistan and the largest ever investment in the port sector there.
The ICT facility is built on over 40 hectares of land and is connected by an extensive network of railway lines and roads to some of the country's most populous areas.
Joint venture
The terminal will be managed and operated by DP World in a joint venture with Premier Mercantile Services, one of Pakistan's largest maritime terminal operators.
DP World Lahore offers the local trading community a fully-equipped container freight station.
