GUJAR KHAN: The Gujar Khan railway station has been renovated, but the commuters are still being deprived of railcar facilities.

The railcar services have been lying suspended since May 1 this year, a month after the renovation was completed, causing millions of rupees loss to the railways each month.

The Gujar Khan railway station has been catering to the commuters of Chakwal, Gujar Khan and adjoining areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir who travel to Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi.

The building had been in a shambles until recently when former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf directed its renovation.

The railway authorities spent over Rs23 million and gave a new look to the old building.

However, after the refurbishment, Pakistan Railways suspended the stopover of Awam Express, Subak Khurram and Subak Raftar trains in May at this station.

At that time Awam Express was earning over Rs610,000 a month, Subak Khurram (railcar) Rs210,000 a month while Subak Raftaar (railcar) over Rs73,000 a month.

However, after two months the railway authorities allowed Awam Express to stop but the railcars still skip the railway station.

Subak Kharram, which used to arrive here from Rawalpindi at 8am was popular among traders and the public as they would arrive at Lahore by 12:15pm.

Hassan Akhtar, a cloth merchant of Gujar Khan, said this railcar was the best train for journey from Gujar Khan to Lahore. He regretted that after discontinuing its stopover, commuters have to catch it at Lahore and drop at Jhelum, he added.

Ali Asghar, another cloth merchant, said that the closure of CNG and increase in bus fares was a major factor for regular commuters to turn to trains where fares were relatively reasonable.