RAHIM YAR KHAN, June 10: Sunday’s train accident here is yet another evidence of railways’ failure to overhaul its signalling and communication system which continues to cause accidents resulting in loss of precious lives and property.

Even the chain collision of three express trains at Ghotki in July 2005, which took 170 lives, failed to move the authorities.

The Nooraywali level crossing where the truck broke down early Sunday had a faulty communication system that linked it with the Rahim Yar Khan station.

When the loaded truck broke down right in the middle of the crossing, the gateman with help of the crew tried to push the heavy vehicle to clear the tracks but failed. And when the gateman tried to contact the station master, the communication link was down.

As a last resort, the gateman tried to operate a device which produces spark to warn the Allama Iqbal Express driver but it did not work.

It was the second such accident at the same crossing in three months but the railways failed to take pre-cautionary steps.

After the Ghotki tragedy, the PR authorities had promised to overhaul the signalling and communication system. Railways Minister Sh Rashid is more concerned about launching new trains and running a bullet train instead of improving the existing infrastructure which is about to collapse.

—Malik Irfanul Haq