February 12, 2006	Sunday	Muharram 13, 1427

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HYDERABAD, Feb 11: Hundreds of passengers faced a painful ordeal following a collision between two goods trains between Meting and Bholari railway stations on Friday.

They remained at the mercy of railway officials at Hyderabad and Kotri railway stations. They complained of overbearing attitude of the officials and non-availability of food and drinking water on Friday and Saturday.

Ever since the accident, not a single train could leave for upcountry or Karachi, causing hardships to passengers, including old women and children, who remained stranded at railway stations.

Passengers complained that the reservation staff closed the office at 11pm notwithstanding the fact that there was an emergency at the railway station and those who wanted refund for their tickets had to wait till Saturday morning.

Telephone numbers of the Hyderabad railway station remained continuously busy and passengers who were to board Punjab-bound trains had to approach the railway station for getting information. The railway staff reportedly did not provide correct information to passengers who wanted to know when the rail traffic would be resumed.

“The staff of the reservation office has been sent home while three is emergency at the station and now passengers have to seek refund on Saturday morning,” said Javed Akhtar, who was to travel in Zikriya Express along with his four family members on Friday night.

Mohammad Shahid, who was to travel in Millat Express scheduled to arrive at around 7pm but there was no possibility of it even after 1am, said railway authorities should tell passengers the actual timing of opening of tracks.

Trains for upcountry, including Tezgam, Mehran, Balochistan Express, Karachi Express, Faisalabad night coach, Zakriya Express and Khwaja Fareed, Khyber and Sukkur Express, were delayed for several hours on Friday.

Several verbal bouts were witnessed at the railway station on Friday night and Saturday among passengers, railway employees and station superintendent Akhtar Hussain Kirmani. Chaotic conditions prevailed at the station late Friday night as railway officials were unable to handle the situation politely.

Passengers even blamed the officials for making wrong announcements to add to the confusion. They claimed that passengers of Shah Latif Express were asked to board Shah Rukn-i-Alam as it was ready to leave for Karachi.

“I could not enter the waiting room because it is locked and my family includes four girls who are waiting outside. We have to avail lavatory facility in a stationed train,” Ms Zohra, who arrived from Karachi to board Millat Express, told journalists in presence of the station superintendent.

When Pakistan Railways chairman Shakil Durrani was informed about the behaviour of railway officials, he deplored it and said the matter would be looked into.

He said that initially it could not be ascertain how much time was required for resumption of the rail traffic. He said the PR had announced full refund of tickets.

Station superintendent Akhtar Kirmani told Dawn that seven buses carrying passengers arrived from Karachi and the passengers boarded upcountry trains. Likewise, he added, 11 buses were provided to passengers who were destined for Karachi. He said they were taken to Jhimpir wherefrom they boarded a Karachi-bound train.

On Saturday, up-country trains, including Chenab, Super, A1, Shalimar, Shah Rukn-i-Alam, Awam, 17up, 41up and 7up, left Karachi for Hyderabad at 4pm after single line operation was started at the accident site.