No diesel: PR halts 50 more trains

Contrary to the bold announcement made by the federal railways minister just a day ago, “Good days for Pakistan Railways are coming,” another fleet of 50 mail trains has been closed down due to fuel shortage. Sources in the Pakistan Railways (PR) told Pakistan Today on Tuesday that the financially suffering institution was forced to take the decision, as Pakistan State Oil (PSO) had halted diesel supply to PR after a cheque of Rs 20 million was dishonoured. PR officials said that cheques issued to PSO, WAPDA (Water and Power Development Authority) and Sui Gas had bounced and power supply to 30 stations had been stopped, while gas connections to 30 railway colonies had also been disconnected.
Sources further said there was no diesel to run train engines beyond Tuesday, and the officials who met President Asif Ali Zardari to seek respite from the crisis returned with disappointment. Moreover, PR employees have not been paid their salaries and they were protesting across the country against the non-payment of salaries, they added. There are no signs of a bailout package from the federal government to rescue the railways, further increasing the distress of employees and passengers. In this situation, PR authorities may consider suspending operations of passenger trains, whereas freight trains have already been halted owing to fuel shortage and a scarcity of engines.
Pakistan Railways has a fleet of around 500 locomotives with nearly 350 out of order and the remaining functional ones were being used to pull passenger trains while only 4-5 locomotives were used for freight trains. The finance ministry has been delaying the release of funds for PR’s revival. The ministry has to release over Rs 12 billion under Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s bailout package. The Railways spokesman was not available for comments.