RAWALPINDI:
Pakistan Railways is unlikely to operate special trains for Eidul Fitr this year due to a severe financial crisis, officials said, with no timetable having been released and bookings yet to begin, even though the festival is just a few days away.
Railway authorities have traditionally operated special trains and offered discounted tickets during Eid to make it easier for passengers to travel to their home cities.
However, officials at the Rawalpindi railway booking office said no instructions regarding special Eid services had been received so far.
“With just five days left for Eid, no timetable for Eid special trains has been released and no bookings are being made,” an official said, indicating that the operation of such trains now seems unlikely.
To accommodate the expected rush of passengers during Eid, PR had earlier proposed adding additional coaches to regular trains operating on key routes including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.
However, the proposal became controversial after the competent authority rejected it, arguing that even the regular trains currently in service do not have their full complement of carriages.
“If the trains already running do not run with the normal number of cars, how can we get additional cars?” an official allegedly questioned.
Officials at the Divisional Railway Superintendent’s office in Rawalpindi said a final decision on operation of Eid special trains and addition of additional coaches would be taken on Monday, March 16.
The announcement is expected to determine whether Pakistan Railways can provide additional travel capacity for passengers during the upcoming Eid holidays.
