Jaffar Express resumes service after track repairs

The Jaffar Express resumed operations on the Quetta-Peshawar route, five days after service was suspended.

Railway officials said the train had been halted due to the destruction of a track and bridge near Spezand in a September 23 bomb blast. They confirmed that repair and restoration work on the damaged infrastructure has now been completed.

The suspension came after terrorists blew up a section of the railway line near Spezand which left multiple passengers injured and disrupted operations along the route.

The explosion occurred between Degari Cross Speedent and Sariab Railway Stations, damaging the track and derailing the engine and five coaches of the Peshawar-bound train. Authorities believe the blast took place 30 to 45 minutes before the train reached the site.

Officials said the device was an improvised explosive planted near the track, which detonated as the train passed. The blast caused four bogies to derail and left several passengers, including women and children, injured.

Both the Jaffar Express and Bolan Express, scheduled to depart from Quetta, were cancelled, with full refunds issued to passengers. Restoration of services depends on the completion of repair work, officials said.

Relief operations began shortly after the incident, with heavy machinery deployed to clear the wreckage, realign the overturned coaches, and repair the damaged track. An investigation into the incident was initiated.

Earlier in March, terrorists hijacked the Jaffar Express train carrying over 400 passengers in nine bogies. Before clearance operations could begin, the attackers martyred 21 passengers.