RAHIM YAR KHAN: The 37-UP Fareed Express escaped a serious accident on Sunday near the Reti Railway Station at Punjab-Sindh border, some 60kms from here, when a local timely informed the railway staff about a broken part of the track.

According to a local, Ghonu Khan Sher, he was on a routine visit to his agricultural land in the morning, when he noticed that a part of the railway track was broken.

He said as he knew that it was the time of a train (Fareed Express) to pass from there, he rushed to the nearby level-crossing and informed a railway employee, Qammar, about the broken track.

On getting the information, Qammar started running along the track in the direction of the train, waving red flag.

On noticing the man waving the red flag, the driver of the Fareed Express manged to halt the train about half a kilometer away from the place where the track was damaged, avoiding derailment and possible casualties.

On being informed of the situation the officials concerned also halted two other trains -- Tezgam and Khayber Mail -- at Dahirki and Mirpur Mathelo stations, respectively.

A railway official, seeking anonymity, told Dawn that it was the duty of Permanent Way Inspector (PWI) of Mirpur Mathelo section to monitor the railway track and in case of any emergency inform the officials concerned.

He said in the extreme cold and hot weather, there were chances of damage to the track because of its shrinking or expanding.

He said the track in the Sukkur railway division was very old and worn out, increasing the risk of any accident.

Moreover, he said that because of many fish plates (used to join the track) getting stolen, pieces of the track had been welded. He added that such welded joints were always dangerous and could snap, especially in the extreme weather conditions.

During the last few years, many fatal train accidents had occurred in the Sukkur railway division. In a collision between two train near Dahirki, 55 people had died and around 100 others were injured.

Sukkur Divisional Superintendent (DS) Muhammad Iftakhar told Dawn that gang men were always deployed along the track to safeguard it.

He, however, claimed that the railway staff informed the station master concerned about the broken track, who got the train halted timely.

He said the trains operation was restored within an hour of the incident.

The DS said the railway system had been equipped with online vigilance to avoid such accidents.

Mr Iftikhar said in the Sukkur railway division contraction of track occurred because of frequent temperature variations in extreme cold weather, adding that to avoid such accidents patrolling and monitoring had been increased.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2023