MUHAMMAD SHAFA
KARACHI: Passengers train operation resumed partially on Wednesday after some eight weeks of continual suspension in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic.
PR officials said presently 11 Up and 11 Down trains would operate daily from Karachi to important provincial capitals and cities including Lahore, Peshawar, and Rawalpindi.
These trains include Khyber Mail which will leave Karachi for Peshawar (up) at 11:00 pm while from Peshawar to Karachi (down) at the same time.
Green Line Express will depart from Karachi to Margala Railway Station (up) at 9:00pm while from Margala Railway Station to Karachi (down) at 3:00pm, while Allama Iqbal Express will leave from Karachi to Sialkot at 2:00pm.
Schedules of Tezgam Express, Pak Business Class, Jaffar Express, Awam Express, Millat Express and other up and down trains have also been issued.
“Eight out of the 11 trains have so far left from Karachi to their respective destinations while the remaining trains will depart as per schedule till 11pm,” said Tariq Asad, Deputy Director PR DS office Karachi, at around 7:15 pm.
Due to social distancing and Covid-19 related restrictions, the PR’s reservation offices are closed. Railways has no other option except online ticketing, due to which passengers especially those who do not have access to Internet may not be able to avail this cheaper commuter travel service.
“Still no other option for ticketing is under consideration,” said the official.
A number of passengers who are eager to celebrate Eidul Fitr with their loved ones at their hometowns, may miss the opportunity to travel by train as thousands of commuters have already made advance bookings to travel home ahead of Eid.
Railways officials said the cumulative capacity of 11 Karachi-bound trains was 11,000 passengers approximately whereas the reservation would be done on 6,600 maximum as per the principal SOP of 60 percent occupancy during the corona pandemic period.
In order to facilitate the general public, Railways had in the past always ran the Eid special trains, which could not be made possible this year ahead of Eid, due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
They said Federal Minister for Railways had directed the operation of 15 Up and 15 Down trains till 31 May. After that full resumption of train operation will be considered. But till 31 May, no chance of any other passenger train running.
The officials said PR administration was satisfied with current operation mechanism as there seemed no visible challenge. Passengers have also complied well with the instructions and devised SOPs.
Announcement for the resumption of train service was made by Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad recently following the approval from the Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Rashid Ahmed said that PM Imran Khan had given the permission to partially resume train services on the condition that standard operation procedures (SOPs) were adhered to as the country battles the novel coronavirus.
The freight train operation was in full swing, however during that period.
Arshad Salam Khattak, Divisional Superintendent Karachi Division, along with all the divisional officers and Superintendent Railways Police were present to supervise the processing of passenger trains as per the laid SOPs devised by PR Headquarters.
All the SOPs devised by the Railways Headquarters have been implemented.
Meanwhile, the PPP-led Sindh government seems not convinced by the decision of PTI-led Centre to resume train operation, as provincial Minister for Transport Syed Awais Shah said in a statement on Monday that the federal government had decided to resume train services across the country without taking the province into confidence.
“We will not allow any train to enter Sindh limits if the standard operation procedures are not followed completely,” he said.
