RAHIM YAR KHAN: After opening of the Sukkur Multan Motorway (M-5) in October 2019 and recent train accidents in Railways Sukkur division, the number of passengers boarding trains from Rahim Yar Khan Railway Station has decreased.

The data collected from the PR sources shows that there were 8,618 passengers from Rahim Yar Khan during the month of October and the railways earned Rs7,685,156 from them but in November, the figure has come down to 7,892 passengers, bringing in revenue of Rs6,885,320.

The PR sources say the main reason for this decrease in number is M-5 becoming operational. Fast trains with less stoppages spend 10 hours for Lahore or Karachi from Rahim Yar Khan while other express trains take 12 hours. But air-conditioned coaches take the passengers to Lahore from Rahim Yar Khan in five hours and thirty minutes through the motorway while they could reach Lahore in five hours in their own vehicles.

The sources say the difference in fare between trains and air-conditioned buses is another reason for the decrease in the number of passengers.

The economy class, AC, business class and AC sleeper’s fare of train from Rahim Yar Khan to Lahore and Karachi is Rs1,000, 2,150, 2,750 and 3,600, respectively, while an AC bus charges Rs1,000 or Rs1,400 for the same destinations.

The third reason, given by the sources for reduction in railways revenue and passengers, is recent train accidents in PR Sukkur division (Sukkur to Khanpur). Dozens of passengers lost their lives in these accidents. On Tuesday, (Nov 3) Up Shalimar Express escaped a dangerous accident due to low speed when it departed from Rahim Yar Khan due to a broken piece of track at Pillar No 65/15 near Dawood Underpass in the city area.

But a railways officer, on the condition of anonymity, told this correspondent that the strength of passengers was increasing in the trains as the maximum number of trains pass through Rahim Yar Khan from 6pm to 2am and the passengers, especially businessmen, preferred travelling in train because of berth where they would enjoy sleep the whole night, saving hotel expenses for them.

He said in coming months, the railways revenue from Rahim Yar Khan station would increase because the trains were reaching destinations on time while the people had already moved to train travel. He said after the completion of ML-I, the trains would run at the speed of 180km per hour, reaching Karachi and Lahore from Rahim Yar Khan in 3.5 hours.

Published in Dawn, December 16th, 2019