The Margalla Tourist Train, owned and operated by the CDA Sports and Culture Department, went off the tracks soon after it was brought back.
The train developed a fault on the third day of Eid and has been parked for ‘maintenance work’ since then.
The train, which was launched in January 2014 to provide a ride to the people visiting the Rose and Jasmine Garden, had developed a fault earlier as well and the CDA had to park it for five months before it was brought back on the tracks during Eid holidays.
A gardener at the Rose and Jasmine Garden said that the train developed the fault on the third day of Eid and since then it has been parked for repair. He said that it may take months to get it fixed as the CDA had been very slow in its repair and maintenance in the past.
The train had been imported for Rs 350 million and a source in the CDA said that spare parts of train were not available in the local market and the civic agency was in the process of replacing the engine with locally available parts.
The source said that the train had been fixed to make it operational during Eid holidays but it developed a fault again.
When contacted, Sports and Culture Director General Asif Shahjahan confirmed that the train has been non-operational since July 21. He said that a Euro-4 diesel was required to run the train, which was only available in European countries.
He said that at present, they use Euro-1 diesels to run the train due to which it develops faults after every few days.
He said that the train would be operational before August 14 and the citizens will be offered a free ride on Independence Day.
