Before the ministry throws money at upgrading luxurious trains for the rich, they need to fix trains used by the poor
LAHORE: Around 16 people have died and more than 80 have been injured as a Quetta-bound train collided with a freight train on Thursday. Officials said the accident most likely occurred because of a delayed signal and that the train had somehow ended up on the loop line. It is shocking to see the sheer ignorance of the railway officials and their lack of answers after a second crash occurred in less than two weeks. Even if the train was on the wrong track, how did the train driver not know this? Or why did a railway official not monitor the tracks and warn the driver? It is possible that the signal warning the two trains was delayed. How did a basic safety measure not work, despite the Railway Ministry sharing numerous updates on the upcoming improvements of the railways? Before the ministry throws money at upgrading luxurious trains for the rich, they need to fix the trains used by the poor and ensure the safety of all passengers. The railways has, of late, been facing the problem of negligence on the part of its staff. This should be checked.
Farhana Kazmi
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2019.
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