Passengers abandon trains for buses amid rail chaos

Facing a surge in derailments, sudden train cancellations and long delays, a growing number of passengers have begun abandoning Pakistan Railways in favour of luxury bus services.

The shift in travel preferences has left the railways operating with reduced passenger numbers, often merging the bookings of two or three trains into one journey due to low occupancy.

According to official railway data, over the past month, multiple Up and Down trains, including major routes like Karachi, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, have been suspended without prior notice.

Notable among the cancelled services are Shah Hussain Business Express and the Shalimar Express. Affected passengers are being accommodated in other trains, such as the Green Line, which itself is frequently delayed.

Officials cite an aging railway infrastructure as a key factor. Many tracks, especially in smaller cities and remote regions, are over a century old. Lack of timely maintenance has led to an increase in accidents, derailments, and collisions with trolleys and other vehicles at unguarded crossings. The decaying state of the railway's physical assets has significantly eroded public trust in the service.

Adding to passenger frustration are the appalling conditions at railway stations. Waiting areas are overcrowded or nearly non-existent, many platforms are over 100 years old and lack adequate space for passengers and their families, and sanitation is a major issue.

Toilets are foul-smelling and often unusable, while food vendors charge exorbitant prices for poor-quality items. Despite repeated visits and surprise inspections by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi and directives to improve services, conditions have barely improved.

Passenger Rehan Hashim, who was scheduled to travel to Karachi, told Express News:

"We were shocked to learn our Business Express was canceled. They shifted us to Green Line, which was four hours late. There was no proper waiting area, and the heat was unbearable. Rail travel used to be enjoyable, but now it's a humiliating experience despite paying thousands. Traveling by coach is far better."

While Pakistan Railways claims that passenger numbers typically dip during pre-summer vacation months and expects traffic to pick up once schools close, passengers and analysts argue that service quality, not the season, is driving the decline.

Officials insist that food quality and station facilities are being upgraded in coordination with the Punjab Food Authority. Yet passengers report no visible improvements beyond short-term clean-up efforts following inspections.