ATTOCK, Jan 11: Six railway accidents, including derailment of four trains, were reported at the Attock railways section in 2006. As per reports, on November 21, engine and a bogy of Rawalpindi-bound 129-Up Bilal express train derailed after colliding with a tractor trolley at a unmanned railway crossing near Domail railway station, causing suspension of rail traffic on Kundain-Attock railway section for some hours.

On Oct 11, several bogies of a Peshawar-bound goods train, loaded with precious electronics items and sugar, fell in a deep ravine after the derailment, when it was passing from Jhallar bridge at same Attock-Kundian railway section, resulting in suspension of rail traffic for about 22 hours.

Similarly on Oct 11, engine of an Attock bound 203-up Railcar caught fire near Haro River Bridge between Kanjur and Attock city railway stations on same railway section.

Five bogies of a Peshawar-bound goods train coming from Kundian derailed between Chhab and Jammat railway stations on July 10 at same railway section. Furthermore, two bogies of a Rawalpindi bound goods train derailed between Chhab and Ucheri railways stations on March 22 on same Railway section.

Interestingly, on March 24, a Peshawar-bound 13-UP Awam express train narrowly escaped disaster due to timely information to the railway authorities about uprooting of fishplates of rail track between the Attock city and Sanjwal railway stations by some miscreants. Train was stopped at the Sanjwal railway station just few kilometre away from the spot.

Railway sources said that train derailment incidents occurred due to lack of proper maintenance and poor condition of rail track at the Attock- Kundian section, which had almost completed it life after the passage of 100 years.

But unfortunately Railway authorities concerned did not take any measures for proper track rehabilitation, posing serious threat to the rail traffic at the same railway section, sources maintained.

Whereas no derailment incident was reported on main line of Attock section last year due to well maintenance and good condition of rail track, the sources added.

Divisional Superintendent Peshawar Railways division, Shafiqueullah Khan, replying to a query of this reporter said that given the number of trains, running daily on the Attock- Kundian section, the derailment incident is only in single figure, which is not a worrisome situation.

However, he admitted that the rail track is not in good condition, therefore the railway authorities have recently initiated a project, under which 210-km long rail track of Attock-Kundian section and it signalling system would be completely overhauled costing Rs7 billion.