The big train tragedy

When the railway minister talks about everything under the sun except his own department, things can only deteriorate

Several train accidents have occurred after Sheikh Rashid took over the reins of the Pakistan Railways. The entire nation has sympathy for the victims of the tragedy in Rahim Yar Khan district and indignation at the sad state of affairs prevailing in the railways. Around 75 passengers have died and 40 others injured after three coaches of Tezgam Express caught fire near Liaquatpur at 1am yesterday. The apparent cause of the inferno is said to be a gas cylinder blast. The railway minister said in these coaches members of the Tableeghi Jamaat were travelling to Raiwind to attend the Jamaat’s annual congregation. The cylinder exploded when some of the passengers were cooking meals on stoves. He said the guard and the driver stopped them from cooking food inside the train. They stopped but resumed soon after they had left the scene. Carrying inflammable materials in trains is prohibited.

The whole thing, as of now, points to mismanagement and incompetence. There are instances of serious accidents from different parts of the world following trains catching fire due to the presence of inflammable material inside them. It has happened in a neighbouring country when passengers were cooking meals on stoves. Yet Tezgam passengers were allowed to carry gas cylinder(s) inside the train. Not long ago TV channels had shown footage of an engine driver and his assistant handing over the control of a passenger train to a young woman. The driver of another train was captured on camera getting down to buy Naan-chholay at a place which was not even a halt station.

The minister lamented over the railways’ failure to earn from its freight service. A cursory glance at the increasing number of container trailers and tankers on the road is enough to show why the railways is not earning sufficient revenue from its freight services. Furthermore, when the minister in charge talks about everything under the sun except his own department, then things can only deteriorate. Eleventh-century scholar Albiruni says what he likes most about Indians is their extraordinary ability to talk on things about which they know nothing.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2019.

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