State of railways
In recent years, the Pakistan Railways has gained notoriety for being accident-prone due to inefficiency, mismanagement and favouritism in recruitment. Conditions have become so bad that a few days ago the association of train drivers has warned that their members will not drive trains because railway tracks have become dangerous to drive on for want of proper maintenance and also due to outdated technology. They have asked the government to work for the rehabilitation of tracks for the safety of passengers and line staff and pay proper attention to rolling stock.
The Supreme Court too has regularly been expressing its dissatisfaction with the affairs of the Pakistan Railways and asking the giant public-sector organisation to improve its functioning. On Thursday, Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed emphatically asserted that the railways “is not being operated the way it should be”. Hearing a suo-motu case, the top judge said undoubtedly regulations and manuals according to which trains were to operate were being flouted resulting in frequent accidents and consequent loss of precious human lives. He said improvement in the functioning of the railways did not appear to be in sight. An annoyed chief justice said not only was the railway infrastructure in a state of neglect its employees too were unfit to operate the service. He emphasised the need for overhauling the secretariat-level positions in the railway department from top to bottom to ensure the organisation’s proper functioning.
Not long ago the Pakistan Railways hauled the major freight traffic. Not so any more. Railway official say they have lost most goods haulage because of a shortage of freight trains with the railways. According to the admission of the Railway Minister himself now only 2% of the freight traffic is with the Pakistan Railways. Once the railways was an inexpensive and comfortable mode of travel for middle-class people and a railway journey has its own adventure. Now the fear of accident is keeping people away from train journey.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 11th, 2020.
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