Pakistan Railways Infrastructure in Severe Decline; Key Reasons Behind Crisis Revealed

Lahore: The long-delayed ML-1 project has become a major setback for Pakistan Railways, as the lack of timely repair and upgradation has left the railway infrastructure in a severely dilapidated condition.

Whether passenger trains or freight locomotives, all are forced to run at extremely slow speeds. Attempts to increase speed often result in derailments, putting both passengers and drivers at serious risk.

According to information obtained by Express News, Pakistan Railways’ nearly 150–200-year-old track has weakened to the point that delays of 7 to 9 hours have become routine.

Train drivers are operating far below the assigned “book speed” due to safety concerns. Out of Pakistan Railways’ approximately 1,900 km-long track, trains on nearly 1,100 km are being run at significantly reduced speeds. Drivers have been instructed not to operate trains at their designated maximum speed.

Due to engineering restrictions, trains often crawl like “tortoises.” While the designated book speed for passenger trains (up and down) is 110 km/h, actual speeds range between 55 km/h and 78 km/h. On rare occasions when a train touches 100 km/h, derailment or serious accidents become highly likely.

Passengers frequently face prolonged delays, and in many cases, trains are canceled altogether due to poor track conditions. Railways often shifts passengers to alternative trains to manage operations.

The track from Karachi to Peshawar is damaged at multiple points, with the worst section between Sukkur and Karachi, where more than 100 engineering restrictions are in place. The average train speed there has dropped to 50–55 km/h. In contrast, the tracks in Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar see slightly better speeds of 78–80 km/h. However, even when a train reaches 90–100 km/h, drivers are forced to apply brakes due to safety hazards.

Officials say that since 2015, Pakistan Railways has failed to upgrade its tracks under the CPEC-linked ML-1 project, resulting in the current crisis. Despite having engines and carriages available, the poor condition of the tracks has prevented timely train operations.

Speaking on the matter, Pakistan Railways CEO Aamir Ali Baloch said that repair work is ongoing. “Large sections of the Sukkur division are very old. Multiple projects worth billions of rupees are in progress,” he said.

He added that station upgradation is underway, with Lahore, Karachi, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi stations already improved. He also highlighted new passenger facilities and public-private partnership initiatives providing enhanced seating and affordable meals.