NAROWAL: The railways department has reduced the number of bogies of trains running between Narowal and Lahore due to which some passengers have been forced to travel on top of the trains.

Four passenger trains run on the Narowal-Lahore section, including Narowal Express, Lasani Express, Faiz Ahmad Faiz Train and Allama Iqbal Train. There were seven bogies attached to the Lasani Express, but now the railways department has reduced their number to three. Likewise, railway officials reduced the number of bogies of Faiz Ahmad Faiz Train from eight to four, while those of Narowal Express have been reduced to four from seven.

Due to a reduction in the number of bogies, rail passengers are facing difficulties and causing trains to be overcrowded. In some passenger trains, four-seat compartments are accommodating six travellers. On some trains, passengers are even found sitting on the floor or standing between seats, while some even resort to travelling on top of the trains. Many men are also found in the women’s compartment.

Passengers Muhammad Akram and Sanaullah said railway officials had reduced the number of bogies due to involvement of private transportation companies. They also claimed that the Narowal-Lahore stretch was the most profitable section for railways.

Route earns railways only Rs0.6m: minister

President of the Daily Passengers Association, Hafiz Abdul Qayyum, said that in the past 12 trains were operational daily between Narowal and Lahore, but during the PPP and PML-N governments, the number was reduced gradually. Due to lack of factories and industries in Narowal district, hundreds of labourers travelled to and from Lahore, who would now face difficulties owing to the reduced bogies.

The Daily Passengers Association and people in general have appealed to the railway authorities to restore the bogies instantly. Chairman of the Narowal district council, Ahmad Iqbal of the PML-N, called it injustice with the masses that bogies had been reduced due to which labourers, traders, students and government servants were facing difficulties. He requested the government to restore the number of bogies.

Station master Abdul Khaliq claimed that the number of bogies remained the same at the time of departure and arrival of trains on Friday, adding that the reason of the reduction could only be found out from the head office.

Meanwhile Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid claimed on Saturday that a huge sum of Rs4.3 million was spent on the renovation of a railway station in the constituency of former interior minister Ahsan Iqbal.

“We earn only Rs0.6 million revenue from Narowal. Locomotives worth Rs220 million were bought for Rs420 million during the previous government and we will conduct an audit of the deal,” the minister said during a press conference at the railways headquarters in Lahore.

In response to the minister’s remarks, senior vice president of the organisation of citizens, Mian Muhammad Rafiq, in Narowal said Mr Rashid should reveal to the media the income of passenger trains between Lahore and Narowal, and not insult the passengers.

He said: “The largest number of passengers on branch lines of railways buys tickets on the Narowal-Lahore section and this section is the most profitable for the department.”

The city organisations of Narowal also condemned the minister and said that if he had any complaint against PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal he should contact the former minister but not taunt the public by calling them names.

Local organisations and civil society requested Prime Minister Imran Khan to take notice of the situation and reinstate the number of bogies.

Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2018