LAHORE/RAHIM YAR KHAN: In yet another major accident, Yousafwala coal train derailed near Firoza Railway Station (between Khanpur and Liaqatpur) after it ran into the sand hump on the loopline, apparently due to weak brakes or driver not applying brakes timely.
On the other hand, a passenger train (Rawal Express) derailed near Kala Gujran in Jhelum district on the Main Line-1 (Lahore-Rawalpindi track), disrupting the railway operations.
In the first incident, 11 wagons of a goods train, along with its locomotive, derailed near Feroza Railway Station of tehsil Liaqatpur.
Reports said the goods train carrying coal for Sahiwal coal power plant was coming from Karachi when the accident happened.
11 wagons of Yousafwala coal train derail near Liaqatpur; fourth crash involving the train in about two months; Rawal Express derails near Jhelum
According to railway sources, the train, Up YSW-C 9042, loaded with 3,300 tonne coal passed safely from Jetha Bhutta Railway Station at 12pm. But at 12:25, the guard received information that its 11 wagons had derailed near Feroza station. Most of railway wagons were badly damaged but the locomotive drivers as well as the guard remained safe.
Due to the accident, railway traffic was suspended on the up track and all trains coming from Karachi were diverted to the down track. Sources said the accident happened after overshoot of the train and the unchanged point. However, another source held the faulty brake system of the train a major reason behind this accident.
“When there will be dome, dummy wagons (the wagons having no or less/inadequate brakes) in the rake, the train cannot be stopped by the driver even though he applies brakes,” he said while speaking to Dawn.
The sources said that a relief/rescue train from Samasatta Railway Station was dispatched to the accident site for removal of the wagons and repair of the track. The work was underway till filing of this report at 11pm.
“The up track near Feroza will take several hours to pass the trains. However, all the trains (up/down) are being passed onto the down track,” a railway official said.
The railways CEO was not available for comments.
“The train operation, especially on the main line (within Multan, Sukkur and Karachi division) continues to be carried out since long without mitigating various operational issues, posing serious threats to safety of passengers, crew and infrastructure,” an official source in the railways told Dawn.
“This is happening just because of the outlived railway track, faulty rolling stock, human error and a couple of other issues,” he added, demanding the railways minister and other senior officers concerned to take steps in this regard.
“If this continues, the nation may witness major fatal accidents in the future,” he warned.
This was the fourth accident of the same coal train since July 10 this year. On July 10, the Yousafwala (Sahiwal) coal train derailed near Harappa station, blocking the upward rail traffic on the mainline. Similarly, on July 19, the same train’s several coal-laden wagons derailed near Wahab Shah Station in Sindh, blocking both up and down tracks and rail traffic for over 24 hours. On July 29, the Yousafwala coal train had yet another accident at Jangshahi Railway Station when its driver reportedly failed to stop the train at the station which also ran into the sand hump on the loopline.
In the second incident on Thursday, Lahore-bound Rawal Express’s locomotive and two coaches derailed near Kala Gujran on the main line-1 (Rawalpindi-Lahore section). The situation led to suspension of rail traffic for at least five hours on the main line, stranding the passengers in the hot weather conditions. Several passengers reportedly left the train and boarded the road transport to reach their destinations.
Almost seven rail derailments and accidents were reported regarding other trains besides the Yousafwala coal train from July 5 to Aug 5, disrupting train operations.
On July 5, the Karachi-bound Shalimar Express had derailed near Khanewal. A Bulleh Shah passenger coach derailed in Lahore on July 20 while July 22 saw another major derailment when Hazara Express’ four passenger coaches derailed near the Karachi Cantt Railway station. On July 28, the Lahore-bound Tezgam derailed between Hyderabad-Kotri sections while the same day, Thal Express’s engine broke down near Muzaffargarh.
On Aug 4, the Havailian-bound Hazara Express also met with an accident when its driver reportedly overshot and hit the sand hump, causing loss of rolling stock and other infrastructure. Similarly, Aug 5 saw another derailment as the Bulleh Shah Passenger train derailed.
(Irfanul Haq also contributed to this report)
Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026
