LAHORE:
Facing an increase in derailments, sudden cancellations of trains and long delays, an increasing number of passengers has begun to abandon the Pakistan railroads in favor of luxury bus services.
The change in travel preferences has left the railroads operating with a small number of passengers, often by merging the reserves of two or three trains on a trip due to low occupation.
According to official rail data, during the past month, multiple trains up and down, including main routes such as Karachi, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, have been suspended without prior notice.
Among the canceled services are Shah Hussain Business Express and Shalimar Express. The affected passengers are accommodated in other trains, such as the green line, which in itself delays frequently.
Officials cite a aged rail infrastructure as a key factor. Many clues, especially in smaller cities and remote regions, have more than a century old. The lack of timely maintenance has led to an increase in accidents, derailments and collisions with cars and other vehicles at uniqueness. The decomposition state of the physical assets of the railroad has significantly eroded public confidence in the service.
In addition to the frustration of passengers are the terrible conditions in the railroad stations. The waiting areas are overpopulated or almost non -existent, many platforms are over 100 years old and lack adequate space for passengers and their families, and sanitation is an important problem.
The toilets are smelly and, often, unusable, while food vendors charge exorbitant prices for low quality items. Despite the repeated visits and surprise inspections of the Federal Minister of Railways Hanif Abbasi and the directives to improve the services, the conditions have barely improved.
The Passenger Rean Hashim, who was scheduled to travel to Karachi, told Express News:
“We were surprised to know that our express business was canceled. They transferred us to Green Line, who arrived four hours late. There was no adequate waiting area and the heat was unbearable. Railways used to be pleasant, but now it is a humiliating experience despite paying thousands. Traveling through the coach is much better.”
While Pakistan Railways states that the number of passengers generally immerses during the vacation months before summer and hopes that traffic once would be collected once the schools close, passengers and analysts argue that the quality of the service, not the season, is promoting the decline.
The officials insist that the quality of the food and facilities of the station are updated in coordination with the Punjab Food Authority. However, passengers do not report visible improvements beyond short -term cleaning efforts after inspections.
