“The operation of some branch line trains are suspended but express line trains are operating as per schedule,” said Railways Public Relations Director Abdul Hameed Razi.
He said that Railways had submitted a Rs95 million cheque to Pakistan State Oil to pay for diesel and the situation would return to normal in 24 hours.
Railways owes PSO a total of Rs900 million.
A notice received by the Railways locomotive shed said the trains would be suspended for three days. If the diesel supply does not resume on Thursday, another 10 branch line trains will have to be suspended to keep the express trains running, said a source in Railways.
Pakistan Railways is also very short on mobil oil, a lubricant used in locomotive engines, and was sending out trains with a reduced supply, said a source in the locomotive shed.
“The situation is desperate as both diesel and mobil oil are short.
We are being told to send out the locomotives with a minimum level of both,” said the source.
For instance, he said, Lahore Division officials had instructed employees to load trains heading south with only enough mobil oil to get to Multan Division.
Officials there would then have to arrange for mobil oil to get the train to Sukkur Division, which would then be responsible for the train’s journey to Karachi.
He said that in normal circumstances, a locomotive travelling from Lahore to Karachi would take 7.5 barrels of mobil oil, each barrel containing 210 litres. “Now we are using only one barrel of mobil oil and that too is a mixture of new and used oil. This will damage the traction motors of the locomotives which will ultimately result in engine failure. If the situation persists then a major disaster is not far,” he said.
He said that used mobil oil from locomotives for express trains was being reused for branch line trains and for shunting locomotives.
Razi, the Railways spokesman, said that PR had already paid for more oil and it would arrive shortly.
The branch line trains suspended on Wednesday included the 227 Up Peshawar Express (Lahore-Peshawar), 224 Down Okara Passenger (Lahore-Okara), 113 Up Ghauri Express (Lahore-Faisalabad), 123 Up Sargodha Express (Lahore-Sargodha), 121 Down Shorkot Express (Lahore-Shorkot), 205 Up Baoo Train (Lahore-Wazirabad-Sialkot), 125 Up Lasani Express (Narowal-Sialkot), 215 Up Narowal Express (Lahore-Narowal), 103 Up Rail Car (Lahore-Rawalpindi), and 110 Up Shorkot Express (Lahore-Faisalabad-Shorkot).
(Read: Getting back on track)
Published in The Express Tribune, December 1st, 2011.
COMMENTS (4)
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@SaudiRules: DO we have enough fuel to fly jf-17 or f-16s?
They don't need fuel, they fly on faith and ghairat.
@SaudiRules: simple answer- no,
Govt: Look at the brighter side; No railway crossing stop overs, another measure to facilitate common man....!
No diesel to run passenger trains but the ghairat brigade wants to declare war with USA!!! DO we have enough fuel to fly jf-17 or f-16s?