Train derailment incident: Rasheed apologises from passengers

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Thursday apologized from passengers for all the inconvenience caused owing to the train derailment incident at Rahim Yar Khan. 

Talking to media, Rasheed asked for an apology from passengers while sternly rejecting the reports which accuse the launch of new trains as a reason behind the delay of track’s restoration.

Few media outlets reported, quoting sources in the Pakistan Railways, that, “The railways does not have any reserve engines or bogies due to the launch of new train services. If new trains had not been launched then trains could have been run on reserve engines and bogies.”

The federal minister furiously remarked that those critiques “publishing the news that we inaugurated new trains uselessly, should take notes that we will launch 16 more new trains.”

After several hours of repair work, the tracks which were closed to all kind of rail traffic after 13 bogies of a freight train detailed at Kot Samaba near Rahim Yar Khan were became operational yesterday. However, trains continued to face delays, angering passengers waiting for trains at different railway stations across the country.

The Pakistan Express departed for Rawalpindi from Karachi after a 17-hour delay. The Millat Express, Tezgam Express and Green Line were also way behind their schedule.