LAHORE:
As Punjab advances with plans for Pakistan’s first bullet train, the existing rail infrastructure, full of derailments, decrepit tracks and malfunction signs, throws doubts about the viability of such an ambitious project.
The details gathered by the Express PAkGazette reveal that more than 6,500 kilometers of railways, built since the creation of Pakistan, have exceeded their natural useful life and are now in a state of poor condition. However, the absence of a rescue package for rail improvements and insufficient funds for road repair has contributed to numerous trains derailments.
According to the sources of the Express PAkGazette, more than 200 trains derailing incidents have been reported every year in Punjab in the last four years. In 2021, 280 cargo derailment incidents and passenger trains were reported in the main and branched lines, followed by 230 incidents in 2022, 250 in 2023, 270 in 2024 and 130 incidents during the first four months of 2025. Most of the derailment incidents were reported from the Sukur division, followed by Lahore, fine, fine, fine, fine Rawalpindi, Pashar and Quetta.
According to Muhammad Sabir Awan, an expert on the railroads, the incorrect alignment between the train and the road and breach of the SOP given by the Department of Engineering and Mechanics for Traffic Safety, were the main reasons behind most cases of derailment. “The work of the divisional superintendent is to inspect the train and the road in its division. This inspection must be done at least once a week, but this rarely happens, because the loose nuts, screws and malfunction signaling systems make trains derail. When fixing the laminable stock and improve the coordators of the coaches, the derailed of the trains can be prevented who drove the government to improve.
Shahid Nazir and Muhammad Ammar Aslam, who frequently take a train from Lahore to Okara revealed the state of rail infrastructure. “The coaches derail on the second or third day of running on the tracks. As a result, we complete a trip of two and a half hours in six to eight hours. The government should improve the rail system,” passengers urged passengers.
The former chief engineer of the Pakistan railroads, Muhammad Afzal Bajwa, revealed that each rail system had a given useful life, after which it had to be updated. “Unfortunately, Pakistan Railways is using railways of the British era. Until now, we have only doubled the Lahore to Lodhran road, which was carried out during the Musharraf era. Until the government provides funds for the improvement of the road, trains will continue to derail. The government should give the railroads a rescue package again,”
In statements to The Express PAkGazette on the matter, Pakistan Railways (Prem union) Sheikh Muhammad Anwar believed that government negligence was the main responsible for derailed. “The government is building roads, ring roads and highways, but it does not have the funds or time to fix railways. The quotas worth RS7 billion are still due to government employees since 2019. Lifespan,” Anwar confirmed.
When asked about the situation, Babar Ali Raza, General Director of Public Relations, Pakistan Railways, said: “We have imposed engineering restrictions on weak tracks to avoid derailments, this defines the speed limits that cannot be exceeded at certain points.” The railway minister, he said, has started 13 projects worth RS11 billion to strengthen vulnerable sections. “If we review the data of the last decade, the rate of victims, although ideally it should be zero, is constantly decreasing due to the measures taken, and we hope that this downward trend continues,” Race said.
