Due to road closures in the federal capital ahead of the PTI's planned "Do-or-Die" protest scheduled for today (Sunday), the railway service is under significant strain as trains entering or leaving Rawalpindi are carrying passengers far exceeding their capacity.
Authorities have sealed all major routes leading to Islamabad to manage the anticipated influx of PTI workers and supporters, primarily from K-P, who plan to march on the city on Nov 24 (today).
With public transport suspended, railway services are bearing the brunt of the load. Passenger trains from Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Lahore, and Faisalabad have all converged on Rawalpindi Station, many operating well beyond their intended capacity.
On Saturday, all 14 trains arriving at Rawalpindi Station were overcrowded, with those from Lahore and Faisalabad fully booked. Similarly, all 12 trains scheduled to depart Rawalpindi for Karachi and Lahore on Sunday reached full booking capacity.
Reservations for trains to Lahore, Multan, and Karachi for both Sunday and Monday were closed due to excessive demand.
Trains arriving from Karachi, including the Green Line, Rehman Baba, Awami, Tezgam, Sir Syed, Hazara Express, Khyber Mail, and Pakistan Express, carried passengers at more than double their capacity. The four railcars from Lahore to Rawalpindi also arrived heavily overcrowded.
Despite the unprecedented rush, there was no significant increase in security at Rawalpindi Railway Station to manage the influx.
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