NAROWAL: The Pakistan Railways (PR) has restored the number of bogies of trains on Lahore-Narowal section on the demand of passengers.
Earlier, the PR had slashed the bogies of Lasani Express, Narowal Express and Faiz Ahmad Faiz Passenger train from eight to four.
The drastic cut left the passengers in troubles, who had to travel on the roof of the bogies. Seeing the situation, the department has restored the old number of bogies.
Passengers, citizens and representatives of civil society have hailed the measure.
Tanzeem-i-Shehriaan of Narowal’s Mian Mohammad Rafiq said they would initiate a campaign among the citizens and passengers about traveling in trains and buying tickets so that the section becomes profitable for the PR.
Railways had slashed bogies from eight to four
Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid had told a news conference in Lahore on Monday last that most of the passengers on this route did not buy tickets.
According to railway sources, tickets worth Rs300,000 are sold at the Narowal Railway Station.
Station Master Abdul Khaliq told Dawn the Allama Iqbal Express that travels to Karachi from Sialkot via Narowal and Lahore has not left with any empty seat or berth from the Narowal station during the last three years.
He said that for the facility of travelers, they have to book seats and berths from the quota of other railway stations.
The PR has increased ticket checkers from one to four on the Narowal-Lahore section to discourage tickets-less journey. One railway officer is also deployed at every passenger train in order to monitor the ticket checking process.
Hafiz Abdul Qayyum, who travels on train frequently, demanded the PR launch trains from Narowal to Quetta and Rawalpindi.
Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2018
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