An alarming report has revealed that Pakistan Railways experienced 113 train accidents over a recent three-year period, with official documents pointing to a troubling combination of human mistakes and widespread technical failures as the primary causes for the numerous incidents.
According to official documents covering the period from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2024, technical malfunctions were responsible for 77 of these mishaps, while human error was identified as the cause in another 36 cases, highlighting deep-rooted systemic safety challenges.
Compounding the risk, the report also shed light on the perilous state of railway crossings nationwide. Of the 536 crossings officially designated as dangerous, only 168 have been upgraded, leaving the vast majority as potential sites for future tragedies.
The financial burden of addressing the decaying infrastructure is immense. An estimated Rs 31 billion is required to repair six major railway tracks, with an additional Rs 980 million needed for the urgent rehabilitation of weak bridges. The cost to restore a single track is projected at Rs 20 million.
In response, railway authorities have included several new projects in the development program for the next fiscal year to mitigate accident risks. These initiatives include a Rs 19 billion allocation for the rehabilitation of the Hyderabad-New Chhor section and Rs 5 billion for improvements on the Lahore-Lala Musa and Rawalpindi sections.
Further funding aims to modernize equipment and key structures, with Rs 12 billion earmarked for the procurement of new track machines and Rs 5 billion designated for the reconstruction of the China Creek Bridge.
As part of a comprehensive modernization drive to improve safety and efficiency, the authorities have also planned a massive track upgrade. This initiative will cover 1,414 kilometers in Punjab, 960 kilometers in Sindh, 173 kilometers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 33 kilometers in Balochistan. Throughout the period under review, Pakistan Railways managed to operate 6,049 freight trains despite these persistent challenges.