Pakistan Railways Declares Emergency Until Dec 31 Over Safety Failures

Pakistan Railways has declared an operational emergency lasting until December 31 following repeated derailments and accidents that have intensified concerns about passenger safety. The nationwide directive requires officials to accelerate inspections, repair defective equipment and address weaknesses across tracks, coaches, locomotives and signalling systems.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi ordered the cancellation of public holidays and routine leave for officers responsible for operations. Officials must remain available on weekends, visit railway facilities and supervise field operations instead of relying solely on reports submitted from regional offices.

The ministry has also instructed railway officers travelling between cities for official duties to use trains. Air travel and official vehicles will generally not be permitted for these journeys, placing senior officials directly inside the transport system they have been assigned to monitor and improve.

Chief engineers responsible for civil and mechanical operations must submit daily progress reports, while the department’s safety leadership will provide separate daily assessments. The reporting system is intended to identify unresolved defects, track repairs and establish clearer responsibility for operational failures during the emergency period.

A technical assessment covering 1,546 passenger coaches and freight wagons has already been completed. Inspections of approximately 3,000 remaining units are expected to conclude by November 10, while defective or brakeless rolling stock is to be repaired or withdrawn from service before the end of December.

The safety campaign also covers the procurement and local production of replacement components. Parts for coaches, locomotives and freight wagons, including thousands of brake cylinders, have begun arriving, while railway workshops have been directed to manufacture suitable components locally. Officials must also address shortages of concrete and wooden sleepers by November 30.

Authorities have identified deteriorating tracks, defective rolling stock, manually operated points, insufficient maintenance, human error and limited resources among the recurring risks affecting railway operations. The emergency follows a series of derailments, including the October 13 accident near Multan that killed passengers and injured dozens, sharpening scrutiny of maintenance and oversight.

The measures will matter only if inspections lead to verified repairs rather than temporary administrative activity. Daily reporting and mandatory field supervision may improve accountability, but lasting passenger safety will depend on replacing unsafe equipment, modernising signalling, maintaining tracks consistently and publicly documenting whether the December targets are achieved.