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OLD-timers often speak of the railways’ glory days. Saddened to see the shrinkage of railway systems, the closure of many routes and rusting infrastructure, they long for a revival of the railways. Their nostalgia is akin to that expressed by those who reminisce about the transportation systems of Lahore and Karachi in the days of yore.
Four to five decades ago, tongas used to be the most visible mode of transport in Lahore, but one rarely spots them now. In Karachi, there used to be cycle rickshaws and tramways. All these were efficient, non-polluting modes of transport, and a vast source of employment but with very different conditions prevailing now, it would be impractical to bring them back. To some extent, this too is the case with the railways.
Contrary to what many people believe, the gradual decay in Pakistan’s railway network did not begin immediately after 1947, for Pakistan Railways (PR) took several initiatives to improve the network and bring it up to par with the technology of the day. A few examples of these measures are:
The gradual decay in Pakistan’s railway network did not begin immediately after Partition.
• Conversion of coal-fired steam locomotives to furnace oil-fired due to a ban by India in 1949 on the supply of coal.
• Gradual elimination of steam locomotives and induction of latest diesel electric locomotives in 1950.
• Rail track renewal to upgrade it for higher speed and axle-load.
• Improved signalling system (colour light signals and centralised traffic control).
• Electrification of the Lahore-Khanewal section.
• Elimination of old wooden coaches to the latest and high capacity metal coaches fit for 140 kilometres per hour.
• Induction of high capacity freight wagons capable of running at 85 km/hour.
• Modernisation of railway workshops.
• Conversion of metre-gauge sections to broad-gauge.
• Use of latest power supply system in passenger coaches (for lighting and air-conditioning) by using power vans.
• Computerisation of reservations, store inventory, service structure, etc.
• Modernisation of marshalling yards (at Pipri), etc.
However, with the expansion of the road network, growing availability of road vehicles, flexible timings and easy access to originating as well as terminating points, people the world over now prefer road transport for distances up to 500km. Railway stations are now difficult pick-up points for passengers as well as cargo, plus it costs more and is more time-consuming to arrange road transport from the railways’ terminating point to reach one’s ultimate destination.
Primarily on account of increasing preference for road transport by passengers as well as goods forwarders, rail transport share — as compared with the early ‘70s — has reduced from 41pc to 10pc for passenger traffic and from 73pc to 4pc for freight traffic. PR has lost its significance; it is no more an attractive mode of transport, and the following points illustrate this decline.
• PR year books reveal that on account of investment during 2000-2003, performance picked up during 2006-2007 and the number of passengers per day rose to 229,860, with passenger trains per day increasing to 244. During 2008-2009, freight trains rose to 52 per day but the number began to fall steeply from 2009 onward due to lack of investment and bad maintenance. During the year 2013-2014, passenger trains per day came down from 244 to 90. The same period saw the number of freight trains per day fall from 52 to only six. Despite such drastic reduction in train operations, there was no hue and cry from the public or from politicians because of their lack of interest in the railway system. Although there has been an improvement from 2013 onwards, it is a far cry from the revival during 2006-2007. Of late, PR has been hardly able to run 106 passenger trains and 10 freight trains per day despite the fact that 63 new Chinese locomotives, 27 rehabilitated American locomotives, 150 specially repaired locomotives, 40 power vans and 202 Chinese coaches were inducted in the year 2011-2012.
• In the early ’50s, passengers used to prefer, or rather, they had no option but to travel by rail for short distances of up to 50km. As per statistics of 2012-2013, the average number of kilometres travelled have risen to 414, a figure anticipated to go up to 600km by 2015-16. If the construction of new motorways from Lahore to Karachi materialises, this figure may go up to 1,000km, and more than 20pc of current passenger traffic will be diverted to roads.
• Last Eid, declaring it would run the highest number of special trains in its history, PR announced 23 such trains. However, this step was taken without any market analysis: as a result, when realisation set in that most of these trains could fetch occupancy rates of between 1pc and 2pc only, it had to cancel six trains.
PR is an old organisation and has vast assets, both moveable and immovable. A comprehensive strategy will have to be planned for the disposal of condemned/inactive railway assets, which on the one hand will generate revenues for PR and on the other, get rid of unwanted assets which are causing losses on account of ‘watch and ward’ services, maintenance, theft and pilferage.
The expansion of railway infrastructure in the ’70s and ’80s, in the shape of a mechanised marshalling yard at Pipri, a locomotive factory in Risalpur, a carriage factory in Islamabad, five sleeper factories at various locations, telecommunication system, the Railway Academy, railway police, etc has become a burden on the national exchequer. Without giving any appreciable returns, these facilities incur heavy expenditure on utility bills, maintenance and salaries of non-productive employees. Upcoming projects also need reconsideration in view of the limited business and revenue generation.
The survival (not the revival) of rail systems all over the world, and particularly in Pakistan, lies in cutting them down to size and diversification. Instead of high-profile corporate plans, PR should consider a realistic future strategy and concentrate on revenue generating sections, as well as matters of day-to-day operation and management, rather than consuming energy in futile/wishful exercises.
The writer is a retired railways engineer and member of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport Pakistan.
Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2015
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