HARIPUR, Feb 21: The Pakistan Railways has suspended with immediate effect the Tezrau passenger service from Havelian to Karachi, depriving the people of Hazara division of a convenient travel facility, sources told Dawn here on Monday.

The suspension orders of the profit-earning route were implemented on Sunday when a number of passengers from across the Hazara division had got their seats and berths reserved several days ago from the booking offices of Mansehra, Abbottabad, Havelian and Haripur.

The announcement came as a shock to passengers, including women and children, who were waiting for the train for hours at Havelian and Haripur railway stations in chilly weather.

However, the railways paid back to the affected passengers after a long and tiresome wait, this could not compensate for the disturbance in their business and job schedules. Sources said the railways had started the service two years ago on the demand of Hazara people, who opted for travel by train to and from Karachi.

The train, which had six passenger bogies and freight wagons, earned good money for the department. It came and departed for Karachi with over 80 pc seats and berths occupied, the sources said.

"This decision of cancelling a profit earning route is unjust and shocking for the passengers of Hazara, who always preferred train to bus," said Waheed, a resident of village Beer Haripur, who lives in Karachi for six years and travels by train.

He accused the 'commission mafia' in railway department of failing the service for the alleged benefits of bus owners. Another passenger, Noor Agha, claimed that the bureaucracy in the railways department was not in the favour of this service due to reasons best known to them.

When contacted for comments, an official source at the Railway station Haripur confirmed the decision of cancellation of Karachi Havelian route of Tezro service. Four other train services across the country had also been suspended, he added.

However, the official failed to say if the service was incurring losses on the department, but told this reporter that the Tezro train would remain plying between Rawalpindi and Havelian as local passenger service. Meanwhile, local circles have demanded restoration of the service.