Central Railway: Solapur Division completes a Triple Century of Rakes Loading from IOCL Pakni Siding in First Year

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Registers Strong Freight Growth of ₹44.2 Crore with Petroleum Products Loading of 301 Rakes at IOCL Pakni Siding

Mumbai: The Solapur Division of Central Railway has achieved a major milestone in freight operations by registering strong and sustained growth in petroleum products loading at the IOCL Pakni Siding in Solapur district upto January 2026.

Freight Loading Performance

The inaugural Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (#POL) loading operation at IOCL Pakni Siding was undertaken on 28 January 2025, marking a historic development for Indian Railways and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (#IOCL). Since the commencement of operations, performance during the year has been highly encouraging.

  • 301 rakes were successfully loaded up to January 2026
  • Freight revenue of ₹44.2 crore was generated for the Solapur Division

Major Destinations

The major destinations served from Pakni include:

  • Hirenanduru in Karnataka
  • Miraj in Maharashtra
  • Vijayapura in Karnataka
  • Desur in Karnataka
  • Navalur in Karnataka
  • Ramgundam in Telangana

This demonstrates wide regional connectivity across multiple states.

Products Handled

The Pakni siding handles a diverse range of petroleum products such as-

  • High Speed Diesel (HSD)
  • Motor Spirit (MS)

This supports fuel transportation through an efficient, safe and environment-friendly rail mode.

Transformation of Pakni Siding

The IOCL Pakni siding has emerged as a strategically important logistics hub. It has become the 1st IOCL rake-loading facility in Maharashtra, the 9th exclusive marketing rake-loading location of IOCL in India and the 18th overall location, including refineries, across the country.

IOCL Pakni siding

Originally notified in 1996, the IOCL Pakni siding was earlier handling limited inward petroleum traffic. With the commencement of outward loading operations in 2025, the siding is now handling petroleum traffic on a much larger scale, transforming it into a major freight hub for the region.

This important freight initiative is supported by a 752 km long dedicated pipeline from Koyali (Vadodara) to Pakni (Solapur) via Koyali-Ahmednagar-Solapur Pipeline (KASPL), commissioned in 2023, with an installed capacity of 5.0 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum). Its originating pumping station is at Dumad near Koyali Refinery with terminals at Manmad, Ahmednagar and Solapur in Maharashtra. Petroleum products are transported seamlessly from the Koyali refinery to the Pakni depot through the pipeline and are subsequently distributed to nearby depots and consumption centres by railway rakes, ensuring safety, efficiency and reliability.

The strong performance of petroleum products loading at IOCL Pakni siding stands as a testament to the effective coordination between Indian Railways and IOCL. The Solapur Division of Central Railway remains committed to enhancing freight capacity, boosting revenue and contributing to the economic growth of Maharashtra, neighbouring states and the nation as a whole.