QUETTA: While Pakistan Railways has ordered immediate inspection of bridges and tunnels built in 1886, a former federal minister says he had been informed by officials several years ago that old bridges could no longer bear the trains’ burden.

There are 34 tunnels and several bridges in the Quetta railway division, most located in the Bolan Pass. All of them were built when the British rulers expanded the railway system in 1886 from Rohri to Quetta and then to Chaman, Taftan and Zhob. Britain laid the tracks in Balochistan in a bid to access Afghanistan, Iran and Russia through Afghanistan.

Being over a century old, some of the bridges are in poor condition. However, railway officials said they had been paying special attention to maintenance of such bridges and tunnels.

“We have received directives from the headquarters to immediately inspect the tunnels and bridges and ensure their repair and maintenance,” they said.

The officials said that following the Gujranwala train accident, the Quetta railway division had instructed all the staff to check the condition of the tracks, tunnels and bridges.

Quetta Railway Divisional Superintendent Mir Faiz Mohammad Bugti said: “Pakistan Railways is paying a substantial sum to law-enforcement agencies for security of tracks in Balochistan and has deputed staff to ensure maintenance of the tracks, tunnels and bridges.”

He said all tunnels and bridges in Quetta division were stable.

However, Sardar Yaqoob Khan Nasar said he had been told by the department’s officials at a briefing during his tenure as the minister that “several bridges across the country have completed their life after passage of over 100 years and they could not bear the burden of trains”.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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