Shortage of train bogies makes commuters’ life miserable

Negligence of railway authorities resulted in difficult travelling conditions for passengers

LAHORE: Previous promises made regarding improving the railways department by Minister Sheikh Rasheed have all been in vain.

Frequent travellers, including labourers and students, risk their lives by sitting on the roof of compartments due to a shortage of bogies. As a result, there has been an increase in the number of incidents.

A lack of attention on the part of railway authorities and staff has resulted in miserable travelling conditions for passengers. Moreover, the number of people travelling on trains without purchasing tickets has increased which has caused the department to suffer a considerable financial loss. Further, separate train compartments for women, which were once a reality, are now non-existent. As a result, women have to travel in cramped compartments alongside men which has only aggravated the already existing mobility issues.

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“The current situation with the train has forced me to travel in a compartment full of men,” says Shamim Bibi. She added that previously women were able to travel comfortably using trains.

In this regard, Railways Divisional Superintendent Aamir Nisar said that tenders have been floated to increase the number of compartments and soon the requirements will be fulfilled. He maintained that citizens are expressly forbidden to travel on the roof of trains.

“However, a large majority of passengers do not buy tickets and use the roof of bogies as a means of escaping from paying the fare,” he said. He added that the railway department is committed to providing people with the best possible facilities and is working towards improving services being provided on junctions and railway stations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2019.