PASSENGERS on board the Shalimar Express bound for Karachi had a narrow escape last Saturday near Hyderabad.

Some 18 of them were injured, including two Pakistan Railways guards. However, according to the local administration in Hyderabad, only one of the wounded needed to be admitted to hospital.

Considering that the two bogies of this top-of-the-line express train that derailed in the accident were crowded with passengers, this will go down as a lucky escape in a country that has, sadly, had many minor and major accidents on the rail tracks over the years.

Also read: 18 injured in Shalimar Express accident in Hyderabad

There is a long history of unfortunate train accidents in Pakistan, where rail services remain a popular mode of travel and where much emphasis has been put in recent times on restoring to the national railways its rightful share of goods transportation.

Some positive things have been heard about the Pakistan Railways in recent times, like the increase in the number of locomotives at its disposal.

Another aspect that rekindles hope in some kind of a revival in the country’s once grand train system is that there is apparently an urge to assemble both the locomotives and the coaches locally, instead of blind reliance on finished items from abroad.

If this indicates mobility, there are areas that have to undergo some speedy improvements to make the railways a viable future option, for its managers as well as passengers and transporters. Security is integral to that must-do list.

Apart from the all-too-frequent accidents, including a series of them this winter at the level crossings, there have been some instances in recent times where militants have targeted the railway tracks in Balochistan.

There were many such attacks in the restive province last year and this year there have already been at least three such incidents — two in January and the third one in the first week of February.

As in the case of the security at the level crossings, Pakistan Railways is dependent on district governments for the safety of the rail tracks in the areas of their jurisdiction.

The railways department employs its maintenance staff to keep vigil on the tracks in the sensitive parts of Balochistan, but there is no denying that in the current circumstances it needs to invest more in the Railways Police, just as it needs to work with responsive local-level administrations to project theirs as a smooth, hassle-free, and equally important, safe travel choice.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2015

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