LAHORE: A new Pakistan Railway’s (PR) report has revealed that in the first half of 2025, a total of 61 accidents occurred across its network and the situation forced the authorities to intensify the safety protocols to ensure safe trains operation.

A safety directorate has also been established at the PR’s headquarters in Lahore to deal with safety of passengers, crew and officials during journeys, Dawn has learnt.

The report, titled “Special Bulletin”, sought strict compliance of relevant rules and regulations by the officers / officials working in the operations wing — the biggest department of PR.

“During this year (Jan 1 to June 26), 61 accidents occurred over the Pakistan Railways network, which were mostly due to poor maintenance of track, rolling stock, signaling & interlocking and specially due to negligent working by the railway staff, despite issuance of repeated instructions for safe train operations,” the report states.

61 accidents reported in first half of 2025

“The PR has prime responsibility to ensure safe train operation. The railway officials should comply with the rules / instructions to minimize accidents. The division officers should also adopt all possible preventive measures to avoid recurrence of such accidents,” it said.

The report gave several directions and safety measures, especially during the ongoing season as well as flooding in various area.

“All precautionary measures be adopted / ensured to prevent the disaster of flood as per chapter 28 of way and works manual,” the report reads.

It further said that the chief duty of the bridge inspector was to carry out bridge repairs and renewals under traffic. In doing this work, the primary consideration should be the safety of trains.

It said, “The bridge inspector must take every precaution to ensure that all the works under his charge are carried out safely and in accordance with the rules”. It further sought officials to daily inspect on foot every portion of the permanent way and said that the interval between such inspections could be increased to once in two days in the case of lines with light and traffic. The report also elaborated duties of a keyman, patrolling of the line by gangmates and gangmen during storms and heavy rains, examination of signals, points etc, fixing altering or removing signals, points etc, working of train examiners, railway police.

“The train shouldn’t be declared fit unless and until the requirements under para 2204 of the operating manual have been fulfilled,” the report added.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2025