Railways insist suspended trains not viable

Pakistan Railway told the LHC that it had suspended the operation of six passenger trains owing to heavy losses.

LAHORE: Pakistan Railway on Thursday told the Lahore High Court that it had suspended the operation of six passenger trains owing to heavy losses. In a written reply filed before the court of Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif, the authorities insisted that the closure was unavoidable.

The reply, in connection with a petition challenging the move, stated that the closed trains were contributing Rs1,066.828 billion to Railway’s revenue against a cost of maintenance of Rs2,470.55 billion. This had compelled the railways to close the trains as it was not in a position to sustain the losses, the reply added.

The reply maintained that the railways was still operating 212 trains to cater to the passengers’ needs. It requested the court to dismiss the petition.

However, Justice Sharif, adjourned the hearing till August 12 as the petitioner’s counsel sought time to file a response.

The petition was filed by Rana Shaukat Ali, the Pakistan Railways Employees’ Union general secretary.

Ali had submitted before the court that financial losses was not an appropriate pretext for closure of trains. He had said that the passengers and the employees were bound to suffer in the wake of the closure. He had argued that the railways should control its expenses instead of depriving hundreds of employees of their jobs.

He had prayed the court to declare the train closure notification illegal and order the restoration of the operation of these trains.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th, 2010.