Bahawalpur railway stations in a shambles

Residents say platforms now resemble haunted houses

BAHAWALPUR: Once hubs of hustle and activity, the Bahawalnagar, Amroka and Sama Satta junction railway stations now only stand to serve as remnants of the past.

“The stations are currently in extremely bad shape. The platforms were built in 1901 during the era of the Nawab of Bahawalpur; now they are falling apart,” stated Muhammad Naeem, a resident of Sama Satta.



Another resident, Muhammad Salman Ahmad said that the bricks have been stolen from the stations which connect Amroka to Bahawalnagar. All these buildings now resemble haunted houses, he stressed.

He added that once upon a time, a train used to travel through Sama Satta, Bahawalnagar and Amroka railways section.

It was stopped around two decades ago. “Now, despite the fact that all the arrangements have been made, this section of the track has not been restored.”

Another resident Mohammad Abdullah maintained that Bhawalnagar district is the most under-developed district in the province. “It produces a record number of cotton, sugarcane and wheat. By making the track functional, the government could potentially rake in a large amount of revenue by transporting what the district produces,” Abdullah theorised.

Citizens added that these trains were shut down in favour of promoting private transport. They said that in 2015, divisional superintendent of Multan Railways announced that this particular section will be restored once the shortage of diesel engines has been met. However, this promise has not yet been fulfilled, they lamented.

Citizens appealed to Federal Minister of Railways Sheikh Rasheed to take notice of the issue. They proposed that Bahawalnagar district be connected to the national railways system which is an advantage not only for the people but also for the department.



A railways official while speaking to The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity said that letters had been written to higher authorities to release funds for the renovation, restoration and maintenance of stations.

“As for restoring the Bhawalnagar, Sama Satta and Chistian section, that decision lies with the government,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2018.