Lahore:
Faced with an increase in derailments, sudden cancellations of train and long delays, an increasing number of passengers began to abandon the Pakistal railways in favor of luxury bus services.
The change in travel preferences has left the railways operating with a reduced number of passengers, often merging the reservations of two or three trains in a single trip due to a low occupation.
According to official data of the railways, during the last month, several trains from top to bottom, including main routes like Karachi, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, were suspended without notice.
The services canceled among the canceled services are Shah Hussain Business Express and the Shalimar Express. Passengers affected are hosted in other trains, such as the green line, which itself is frequently delayed.
Managers cite an aging rail infrastructure as a key factor. Many tracks, especially in small towns and remote regions, have more than a century. The lack of timely maintenance has resulted in an increase in accidents, derailment and collisions with carts and other vehicles with unclear level crossings. The decaying state of physical assets of the railroad has considerably eroded public confidence in the service.
The appalling conditions are completed in the stations. The waiting areas are almost nonexistent overcrowded, many platforms are over 100 years old and lack adequate space for passengers and their families, and sanitation is a major problem.
The toilets are nauseating and often unusable, while food sellers charge exorbitant prices for poor quality items. Despite the repeated visits and surprise inspections of the Federal Minister of Hiffs Abbasi railways and directives to improve services, conditions have barely improved.
Passenger Rehan Hashim, who was to go to Karachi, told Express News:
“We were shocked to learn that our Express company was canceled. They moved to Green Line, which was four hours late. There was no appropriate waiting area, and the heat was unbearable. Rail trips were pleasant, but now it is a humiliating experience despite thousands of people. Traveling by coach is much better.”
While Pakistan railways claim that passenger numbers generally drop during the pre-summer vacation months and expect traffic to increase once the school closure, passengers and analysts argue that the quality of the service, not the season, leads to the decline.
Officials insist that the quality of food and the station’s facilities are improved in coordination with the Punjab Food Authority. However, passengers do not report any visible improvement beyond short-term cleaning efforts after inspections.
