LAHORE: As the Pakistan Railways (PR) is set to launch a new passenger train - Mianwali Express - today, drivers and assistant drivers have called for investing on the improvement of rail track and signal system. They warn the PR administration to immediately start rehabilitation of the track and the signaling system, failing which they would have no option but to start stopping trains at signals.

“The recent preliminary investigation by the Federal Government Inspector of Railways, which held the driver and assistant driver responsible for the accident of Akbar express with a goods train at Walhar railway station, is totally a biased one,” PR Train Drivers Association Chairman Chaudhry Shams Pervaiz told Dawn on Thursday. “It’s an attempt to hide the failure of the signaling system. We reject the report and demand the top PR authorities expose those responsible for system failure and those who continue ignoring the dilapidated condition of the track that needs repair after every two years.”

The association, which represents 2,600 drivers, has shown reservations over the preliminary FGIR report on the train tragedy and also set a deadline of August 31 to the PR top authorities for removing deficiencies in the system besides maintaining the track, especially the existing main line-1 (ML-1), failing which its members would start stopping trains at signals (whether green or not).

“The signaling system is defective. Similarly, the track condition is also very bad. So, how can we save our and passengers’ lives?. In the situation, when more accidents cannot be ruled out, the PR administration continues running new trains,” Pervaiz deplored.

Demands safety measures

“Everyone knows well that why this train (Mianwali express) is being launched? It is just a bid to please the prime minister. The section remained closed for many years as there was a meager number of passengers,” he claimed.

“Why passengers will travel to Lahore from Sargodha by train that reaches the destination in five hours or so, while the road journey is just two hours or so?” he maintained.

He said due to the bad condition of the track, signaling system, derailments, accidents etc, the entire train operation had been in troubles for the last couple of months.

According to an official source, drivers and assistant drivers have been passing through a painful situation these days, as they used to stop trains at various stations despite seeing the signal green. In various cases, they have shouted at station masters for not rectifying the faults in signals and points systems.

“The driver used to make footage of the faulty signals, points etc, sent them to their seniors and lodged complaints with various stations, especially in Sukkar division,” said the official, who requested anonymity.

He said besides this, delayed arrival and departure of trains has also become a routine matter for the PR officials at Lahore and other major stations across the country. It is not only irritating the passengers but also the PR officials, who often lose patience due to responding a huge number of passengers on a daily basis.

“The disrupted schedule of the trains is due to derailments and shortage of coaches,” he added.

The PR chief executive officer was not available for comment.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2019