Govt reshuffles railways freight team after coal supply disruption hits power plants

The government has reshuffled the freight transport team of Pakistan Railways following disruptions in coal supply to power plants, particularly the 1,320MW Sahiwal Power Plant. Coal reserves at the plant had dropped to levels sufficient for only a few days, as disputes between railway authorities and plant management delayed transportation, Dawn reported. 

The issue was taken up by the Power Division with the prime minister and the National Coordination and Management Committee, which directed that operational issues be resolved promptly, given the importance of maintaining base-load generation, especially amid the limited availability of LNG-based power.

Officials said coal shipments are now in transit and supply conditions have stabilised, reducing immediate risks to grid operations.

Sources said the disruption raised concerns over the reliability of 1,500-1,800MW of coal-based power generation at a time when the national grid was already under pressure.

Following the incident, multiple senior officers were reassigned within Pakistan Railways to improve freight operations, while the chief executive of the Pakistan Railways Freight Transport Company proceeded on a 90-day leave.

According to official notifications, Waqar Ahmed Sheikh was transferred to Railway Headquarters in Lahore as chief operating superintendent, while Muhammad Ali Chachar was appointed director general operations.

Other changes included transfers of senior officers across Quetta, Peshawar, Sukkur and Karachi divisions to streamline coal transportation.

Officials said the changes were aimed at ensuring smooth movement of fuel supplies to power plants and preventing further disruptions to electricity generation.