Official says number 4, 5, 6 and 7 buses derailed as train diverted
LAHORE:
The Lahore-bound Shalimar Express derailed again on Friday, just two days after a similar incident near Shahdadpur, raising fresh concerns over rail safety.
According to railway officials, one of the coaches of the train derailed between Farooqabad and Sheikhupura around 9.40 am. There were no immediate reports of injuries or casualties.
A relief train was dispatched from Lahore soon after the incident and officials said the rescue and restoration operation was expected to be completed by 10 pm. The railway authorities have initiated efforts to clear the track and restore train services in the affected section.
Four air-conditioned coaches of Shalimar Express to Lahore derailed near Shahdadpur railway station on Wednesday, disrupting train operations on both up and down tracks. However, no injuries were reported.
Railway authorities said coaches number 4, 5, 6 and 7 derailed when the train was diverted to a loop line due to a faulty Awami Express on the main track at the station.
They added that the Shalimar Express was moving at a very slow speed while entering the loop line, which helped prevent a major accident and saved passengers from injury.
Earlier, the Karachi-to-Islamabad Green Line Express derailed near Wazirabad on March 27 while leaving the station. Initial results indicated that the derailment was caused by broken buses.
This was the third train accident to occur in the last ten days of the previous month, a development that some officials attributed to negligence on the part of the Pakistan Railways authorities.
On March 26, the Karachi-to-Lahore 41-Up Karakoram Express met with an accident near Khanewal Junction when the train split into two sections. On March 24, Tezgam Express also derailed near Lodhran. However, railway crews later restored the track and the train resumed its journey.
A joint investigation report later identified that the derailment was due to a technical fault in one of the train’s bogies, which was found to be unfit.
