Pakistan railways' financial woes threaten Eid travel plans

Rawalpindi [Pakistan], March 15 (ANI): Pakistan Railways may not be able to run its traditional Eidul Fitr special trains this year due to a deepening financial crisis, raising concerns for thousands of passengers who rely on rail services to travel home for the festival. Railway officials have indicated that no schedule has been issued and booking for special Eid trains has yet to begin, despite the holiday approaching rapidly, as reported by The Express Tribune.

According to The Express Tribune, in previous years, Pakistan Railways introduced several special trains and discounted tickets during Eid to help manage the surge in passengers travelling across the country. These services were particularly important for families heading to their hometowns from major urban centres. However, the usual preparations appear to be missing this year, suggesting that the department may not have the financial capacity to operate the additional services. Officials at the Rawalpindi railway booking office confirmed that they have not received any directives from higher authorities regarding Eid special trains. "Only a few days remain before Eid, yet no timetable has been issued, and bookings have not opened," an official stated, adding that the possibility of running special services now appears increasingly unlikely.

In an attempt to cope with the anticipated Eid rush, Pakistan Railways had earlier proposed attaching extra coaches to regular trains running on major routes, including Rawalpindi, Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. The plan was meant to increase seating capacity without launching entirely new services. However, the proposal has reportedly been rejected by the relevant authority. Officials questioned the feasibility of adding more coaches, noting that several trains on these routes are already operating with reduced carriages due to equipment shortages, as cited by The Express Tribune.

"If trains already in operation are not running with their standard number of coaches, arranging additional ones would be difficult," an official reportedly stated. Meanwhile, officials at the Divisional Superintendent Railways office in Rawalpindi stated that a final decision regarding both Eid special trains and the addition of extra coaches will be taken on March 16. The outcome of this decision will determine whether Pakistan Railways can provide any additional travel arrangements for passengers, as reported by The Express Tribune. (ANI)

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