Lahore, April 23 — Pakistan Railways is facing an escalating operational and financial crisis that has left passenger and freight services running under unsafe conditions, according to Dawn and syndicated reports. Chronic funding shortfalls, a shrinking workforce and deferred maintenance have combined to damage locomotives, coaches, wagons and track infrastructure, raising the risk of accidents.
Internal meetings cited by local media show mounting frustration among officers who say they cannot carry out basic duties. The Lahore Division is reportedly functioning with roughly 50% of its sanctioned staff, a senior official told reporters. Similar constraints are affecting all eight divisions — Lahore, Karachi, Multan, Sukkur, Quetta, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and the Workshop division.
Budget restrictions are stalling even small, urgent repairs. Officials say routine approvals, including requests for amounts as small as PKR 500,000, require slow clearances from headquarters, delaying remedial work. Under these pressures, frontline staff have been forced into makeshift solutions, often cannibalizing parts from sidelined coaches to keep others running.
Sources describe the crisis as the result of long-term structural and financial weaknesses that have worsened over six to seven years and reached a critical point in 2026. The outgoing chief executive reportedly struggled to sustain operations and to ensure timely salary payments, underscoring institutional strain and limited liquidity.
Railway managers warn that meeting operational targets and revenue goals under current conditions is increasingly unrealistic. In a recent meeting, Divisional Superintendent Inam Ullah Khan urged officials to focus on restoring and improving train operations, according to the report.
The situation highlights urgent risks to safety and service continuity across Pakistan’s rail network unless funding, staffing and maintenance processes are addressed promptly.
