One shudders to think what the scale of Tuesday’s tragedy would have been had the two trains involved in the crash been moving at higher speeds. But even if a greater catastrophe was averted, the death of at least 18 passengers in the accident is reason enough for the relevant government departments to engage in extensive soul-searching regarding the state of both Pakistan Railways and our emergency response services.

The head-on collision between the Allama Iqbal Express and a goods train on the outskirts of Karachi appears to have been the result of negligence on the part of the passenger train’s driver who had ignored a signal to stop. People in the area who initiated the rescue effort claim the city government and railway personnel arrived more than an hour after the accident. And when they did there was a serious lack of coordination in rescue efforts. To add to their sufferings, the survivors’ luggage was looted during the chaos that followed the accident.

The railways, inherited from the British, were once a relatively safe, convenient and affordable mode of transport for the public. But over the years, PR’s performance has
deteriorated and is now far from satisfactory. The service is in frail financial health primarily due to budgetary constraints. One of the reasons for this is the outstanding dues owed to the railways by various government departments, while the embezzlement of funds within the department is believed to be another factor responsible for the decline.

There is a direct correlation between inadequate resources and a poorly maintained operations and maintenance system. Without funds the railways’ routine maintenance is affected. The tracks are evidently in poor shape while the signalling equipment is also said to be obsolete. Because of these deficiencies, coupled with lax observance of safety precautions by the railway staff, such accidents are not uncommon. What is the Ministry of Railways up to? It needs to focus on the basics, specifically plugging the financial leaks and properly maintaining the network, if PR is to be rehabilitated and train journeys to become a convenient way to travel.