RAWALPINDI: A number of passengers hoping to go to their hometowns for Eid by train are facing disappointment, as only one special Eid train is leaving from the garrison city.

Across the country 23 special Eid trains are being operated but only one special train will leave from Rawalpindi for Multan on July 17. Another train on the same day will leave from Peshawar, making a stop in Rawalpindi and going to Karachi. This train is expected to be full with few seats available for passengers boarding the train from Rawalpindi.

The twin cities, especially Islamabad, are home to a very large population of migrants from other cities and towns in the country. In the past, special trains ran from Rawalpindi to Karachi, Lahore, Multan and Quetta in the days leading up to Eid to facilitate passengers travelling to their hometowns.

However, this year due to unavailability of seats on trains, passengers travelling from Rawalpindi to Karachi, Quetta, Lahore and small towns are opting for other means of travel such as buses, vans and airplanes. Passengers are disappointed that they could not avail the discounts being offered on railway tickets this Eid.

Passengers face immense difficulties because of unavailability of seats

Moreover, extra carriages which are claimed to have been added to facilitate the additional passengers are also not enough to meet the demand for seats. A passenger, Jawad Azhar told Dawn that he is opting to fly to Karachi because of unavailability of seats on trains.

“The only special train running for Karachi will originate in Peshawar and it is expected to be full before it reaches Rawalpindi. The airplane ticket from Islamabad to Karachi is Rs6200 and the train fare is Rs5500, so I decided to fly instead,” he said.

However, he pointed out that on the way back from Karachi, the airfare is around Rs10,000 so the train is a more affordable option. “But because of the fare, there is more rush of people travelling on trains from Karachi to Islamabad,” he said.

Some passengers travelling Gujranwala faced problems as the non-stop train from Rawalpindi to Lahore does not stop at the Gujranwala Railway Station. “I have to travel on a bus to Gujranwala because I was informed that the train no longer stops there,” said Hamza Waqar, a passenger.

Another passenger, travelling to Karachi, Ahmed Hassan told Dawn that he prefers to travel on trains as buses run by private transporters are expensive on Eid and the staff do not treat the passengers with respect.

Newly appointed Pakistan Railways Divisional Superintendent Abdul Hameed has not yet taken charge of his post and affairs of the department are being run by Yahya Jan, who was not available for comment.

Published in Dawn ,July 16th, 2015

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