‘HUMAN error’ is the refuge of officials who are asked to explain a major mishap in Pakistan. All too often the image of an errant pilot or driver is greeted by public calls for reforming the individual — although the suspicion remains that the institution the person worked for is being allowed to get away without a serious investigation.

The latest example is the derailment of the Jaffar Express in Balochistan’s Bolan area on Tuesday, in which the first suspect was the train’s driver who was among the at least 14 people killed. But as evidence emerged that the crash could have been caused by brake failure, the blame wagon changed course in the direction of those responsible for the maintenance of the Pakistan Railways stocks.

Also read: Death toll from Jaffar Express accident climbs to 19

The finger was pointed at the mechanics who ought to have ensured that the train’s brakes were in perfect running order before they signed the fitness certificate allowing it to set off from Quetta on Tuesday morning. But whereas this may be the routine start to the process of bringing the lazy and irresponsible to justice the exercise will remain incomplete unless there is a deeper probe into the mess that has existed for long in the railways and that goes beyond the fancy vows of those in charge of its affairs.

If initial reports about the accident indicate a casual attitude on part of the maintenance staff in Quetta, it is in sync with the lethargy that has come to be associated with this national service.

The railways minister has been constantly heard making popular noises about turning around the organisation. While some experts have found reason to praise Minister Saad Rafique, those with greater expertise in the field often caution against the much-celebrated surface changes that hide the ugly reality: that the railways’ infrastructure is in a shambles.

The truth is that whatever ‘improvements’ are carried out within the system in the name of safety, speed and reliability, are limited to the more visible and more privileged sections — for instance, the two favourite routes, the Lahore-Karachi and Lahore-Rawalpindi sections.

Areas such as Aab-i-Gum in Bolan stand by and are lost to officials until they abruptly become the news as in Tuesday’s accident when a driver tried to apply the brakes on a long slide. If this is human error the blame must rest at the top of the fragile system.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015