LAHORE: Pakistan Railways CEO Amir Ali Baloch on Friday constituted a high-level committee to probe the derailment of three coaches of Karachi-bound Shalimar Express near Lahore’s Shahdara area, reaffirming the commitment to foolproof passenger safety.
Earlier on Friday three coaches Shalimar Express, traveling from Lahore to Karachi, derailed near Shahdara area. Luckily, no injury or death reported in the incident that could have triggered a major catastrophe.
The three members committee, comprising the Deputy Chief Engineer (Bridges), Deputy Chief Mechanical Engineer (Carriages), and Deputy COP (Safety) will determine causes of the derailment and fix responsibility.
The committee will submit a detailed report next week, based on which strict action will be taken against those found responsible.
The CEO emphasized that Pakistan Railways remains one of the safest modes of travel.
“Over the past two years, significant safety measures have been implemented, leading to a considerable reduction in derailment incidents. As a result, 42 million passengers trusted Pakistan Railways for their journeys in 2024, a number the organization aims to increase further”, he stated.
He also highlighted that railway tracks undergo continuous inspections, and engineering restrictions are imposed wherever weaknesses are detected to ensure passenger safety. “Currently, 13 projects are underway in the Sukkur-Rohri section to improve track conditions, while similar improvement projects are in progress across other divisions”, the PR CEO elaborated, adding that with the launch of the ML-1 project, engineering restrictions will be significantly reduced.
It is noteworthy that restoration operations commenced immediately after the derailment, and the up and down tracks were cleared within three hours. At present, all trains across the country are operating as per schedule.
Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the site to assist in recovery efforts. Railway staff and police arrived to assess the damage and manage the situation.
According to railway officials, the accident was triggered by the breaking of an old wooden track, which had been in use for nearly 200 years. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries have been reported so far.
