LARKANA: The Pakistan Railway authorities have ruined Larkana junction railway station as previously 11 trains were running on its tracks up and down during 24 hours but now only two trains are plying at night time only.
Since 2009 Kambar-Shahdadkot train is closed which has not yet been reopened. Due to non-plying of trains Dry Port established by Benazir Bhutto in 1995 was closed after one year in 1996. Platform of the railway station which attracted so many people in the past is now looking deserted. Larkana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has written several letters to the federal and provincial governments for making dry port and trains functional but nobody has so far taken any action. Even local trains have been stopped which used to take passengers to Sehwan, Shikarpur, Rohri, Jacobabad, Dadu and even Kotri. Now only two trains Bolan Mail and Khushal Khan Khattak Express are visiting this station daily during darkness. There were so many stalls on the station and so many labourers used to earn livelihood through lifting luggage of the passengers but now only railway employees are seen over the tracks and railway station including Shahnawaz Bhutto Railway Station where all trains had to stop compulsorily for a minute.
Qalandar Express and Shahbaz Express were very suitable for those government servants who had to reach to their offices on time but now they are facing serious difficulties as they are using private transport which is plying without schedule. Thieves have stolen tracks of Kambar-Shahdadkot railway line and within next few years if government took no serious efforts to reopen it then it will be written in the history that trains were also available between Larkana and Kambar-Shahdadkot. Qalandar Express was finally closed down in November 2009, Shahbaz Express in August 2011, Jacobabad Passenger Train in 2007 and Passenger train 287 in 2011.
Due to closure of efficient and rapid train service the private transporters are charging from the poor passengers high fares for which no government officer including Regional Transport Authority has taken any action against them as all of them are very influential and have contacts with top political leadership. Goods shades and godowns are constructed at the Larkana station which used to be filled in the past with luggage but now they are empty hence have been locked and the traders have chosen goods transport due to non-availability of train service. Rice, wheat, fish, vegetables, guava, tomato, mangoes and so forth were regularly sent through trains to various parts of the country from here. Lo-coshed is also non-functional.
In this connection LCCI Chief Masood Ahmed Shaikh told newsmen here on Thursday that the railway authorities are treating step-motherly all the areas located on the right side of Indus river specially Larkana. He said that 80 to 90 lbs track has been laid here on earth due to which trains run slowly whereas on the left side of Indus 120 to 130 lbs track has been laid over stones due which trains are running fast. He blamed federal and Sindh governments and railways ministry for destroying Larkana Junction. He said up and down hire was charged from the traders by the railway authorities due to which dry port was closed down as traders were facing losses. He said residents feel insecure and unsafe in travelling in private coaches but they have been forced for this journey as trains are more secure.
Larkana station master Ayaz Abbasi said that Larkana is divisional headquarter but there is neither online ticket system nor reservation system has yet been computerized. He said it is very unfortunate that only two trains are operated at night only and during day time the entire station is looking like a desert. He said this station can earn lot of revenue as in the past but due to policies of the higher railway authorities this station has been neglected for unknown reasons since long.