Railway Polices holidays cancelled for Eid duty

IG Railways Ibn Hussain said the holidays have been cancelled to facilitate the passengers and to ensure safety and security of platforms and trains on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

He said extra police contingent would be deputed in trains on Eid. He said similar security arrangement have been made for security on platforms and other railway places.

Pakistan Railway’s woes continue, 5 more trains suspended

As per details, Dachi Express, Sargodha Express, Rachna Train and Wazirabad Passenger train came to a halt signifying another step towards Railways’ decline. Twenty-five trains were halted earlier including Mari Indus, Faisal Express, Ghauri Tipu Sultan, Noor Shah Wali Train. Enormous difficulties are being faced by the passengers after Pakistan Railways’ downturn.

Talking to the media, Station Master Sangla Hill Iftikhar Ahmed Bajwa said that the two billion rupees were spent on paying staff’s salaries, two on the symbolic repair of engines but these engines never surfaced and there is no record of remaining seven billion rupees out of eleven billion rupees funded to railways by the government.

He added that if one engine would be repaired on daily basis then thirty could be seen on railway track in a month. Trains arriving at Quetta railway station from other parts of the country reach after several hours of the schedule.

According to the Railway Inquiry, the trains coming from different parts of the country would reach Quetta hours after declared schedule. Quetta Express heading from Peshawar would be six hours whereas Jaffer Express from Rawalpindi and Bolan Mail would be five-five hours late.

People are facing great difficulties during Sehr-O-Aftar timings due to the delay in train arrivals, passengers as well as people for their reception are facing problems and delays of up to six hours have become the routine.

Slumdog child star’s Mumbai home burns down

MUMBAI: Slumdog Millionaire child star Rubina Ali said Saturday her home and the awards she won for the Oscar-winning film had been destroyed in a fire that raged through a congested Mumbai slum.

The family of 12-year-old Rubina, who played the role of young poverty-stricken Latika in Danny Boyle’s movie, watched helplessly as their tin-roofed shack in the crowded slum went up in flames late Friday.

“I have lost everything, including books and precious belongings like awards, photographs, newspaper clippings and memorabilia from the success of the film,” Rubina said, according to the Press Trust of India.

Rubina was just eight when she appeared in the rags-to-riches blockbuster, which won eight Oscars in 2009 and her journey from Mumbai slum to Hollywood red carpet made her famous around the world.

“We all were at home watching TV when a neighbour came to alert us about the fire. We all rushed out. We spent the entire night at the railway station,” Rubina said.

“So far nobody has come to help us.”

The blaze raced through the slum in the Mumbai suburb of Bandra on Friday evening, injuring at least 21 people and leaving 2,000 people homeless, a fire official said.

“We feel relieved to see that all our family members are safe. But all the good memories of my daughter’s fame have been reduced to ashes. We have lost everything,” Rubina’s father Rafiq Ali said.

Rubina said the family was yet to move into a new apartment paid for by a trust set up by Slumdog director Boyle.

More than half of Mumbai’s estimated 18 million residents live in either officially designated slums or illegal shanties. AGENCIES

Flight, Rail Schedule Disturbed Due to fog

In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the schedules of flights and railways have been severely disrupted due to dense fog. Three flights of PIA were cancelled due to bad weather and zero visibility.

According to PIA officials, flight from Peshawar to Karachi PK351 was cancelled due to bad weather. While other flights such as Karachi to Moen Ja Daro, Moen Jo Daro to Sukkur and Sukkur to Karachi were also cancelled due to bad weather conditions; where as some domestic flights are also being delayed. On the other side, the railway schedule is also disrupted and trains are being delayed for several hours causing problems for the passengers.

Letter to Honorable Railway Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour

A Chinese firm has started the construction of the North-South Railway line in Afghanistan. This railway line will connect the Tajikistan border with the Pakistan border.

I think this is the right time for the Honorable Railway Minister Mr. Ghulam Ahmed Bilour to make a mark in the History of Pakistan. If the Railway Minister can construct a new railway line, compatible with the under construction North-South Railway line of Afghanistan, running from North Pakistan to Gwadar South Pakistan, then he will be able to open a new South Asian trade Route in this region. This trade route can be one of the most beneficial trade routes of the world and can alter the Economics of the whole region.

If the Railway Minister wants, he can actually build this railway not only free, but also achieve a profit for Pakistan. All he has to do is

• Use his current team to lay down the plans for a new railway.
• Purchase the land for the new track in a years time.
• Issue a tender for the Build-Operate-Transfer of the new railway line for 25 years.

The contract should include lease of Government land (Route of Railway line) and agreement for flat tax rate for 25 years. With this tender the Railway Minister will not only get a brand new free railway line for Pakistan, he would also go down in History as the person who started this new trade route which changed the whole Geo-Economic landscape of the Region.

Railway workers stage protest in Lahore

Staff Report

LAHORE: After failing to get their monthly salary, workers of cash-strapped Pakistan Railway staged a protest in Lahore on Wednesday.

Dozens of workers gathered outside the Railway Headquarters and held a demonstration against the non-payment of their salaries.

According to protestors, they had to return empty handed as banks refused to accept their cheques, citing lack of funds in Railway Account.

When contacted, a Railway spokesman said that efforts are under way to arrange money for the payment of workers’ salaries. Trend Pk

Sindh’s railway track bomb blasts continue on 3rd day

Staff Report

NAWABSHAH: The ongoing railway track bomb blasts row continued on third day in Sindh. The latest blast has blown some part of railway track in Nawab Shah on Wednesday.

According to police, some unknown terrorists planted explosives on the railway track near Nawab Shah Railway Station.

The explosive blasted today morning and damaged the railway track. All trains movement was halted at the both sides of the track.

The bomb disposal squad informed that another bomb was also planted on the track but it has been defused before the blast.

Heavy contingents of the police have barricaded the area while a Karachi bound train, Tezgam, has been stopped at the near by station. Trend Pk

Sindh’s railway track bomb blasts continue on 3rd day

Staff Report

NAWABSHAH: The ongoing railway track bomb blasts row continued on third day in Sindh. The latest blast has blown some part of railway track in Nawab Shah on Wednesday.

According to police, some unknown terrorists planted explosives on the railway track near Nawab Shah Railway Station.

The explosive blasted today morning and damaged the railway track. All trains movement was halted at the both sides of the track.

The bomb disposal squad informed that another bomb was also planted on the track but it has been defused before the blast.

Heavy contingents of the police have barricaded the area while a Karachi bound train, Tezgam, has been stopped at the near by station. Trend Pk

Hyderabad: Two bomb blasts on railway track halt trains

Staff Report

HYDERABAD: Two bomb blasts have damaged the railway track near Sehrash Nagar on Monday and consequently all trains have been halted till the clearance and repairing.

According to railways sources, the terrorists had planted two bombs on railway track, between Kotri and Hyderabad, near Sehrash Nagar.

Both bombs blasted in the after noon and spread fear and harassment in the area. Heavy contingents of police reached on the scene and started a search operation.

The blasts damaged railway track while the traffic of trains has been stopped on the both sides of the track to avoid any possible mishap. Trend Pk

Railways does not afford to pay salaries: Bilour

Federal Railways Minister Ghulam Bashir Bilour has said that the money-strapped Railway Department cannot even pay its employees, Dunya News reported on Thursday.
Addressing the passing out parade of Railway Police at Lahore, Bilour said that the Railway system has been deteriorating due to rulers negligence. He lamented that the railway tracks have never been upgraded since the times of English rule. We are made beggars, Bilour deplored while hinting at the money-strapped department.
He said efforts are underway to improve the railways system.

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