Pakistan Railways principally decided to close 54 short-distance passenger trains due to sever shortage of stored oil, besides shutting down 102 trains due to shortage of locomotives, sources told Business Recorder here on Tuesday. The PR is again facing fuel crisis, as it has fuel in its stock for only a single day. The situation compelled the PR management to close 54 passenger trains of different routes.
About 102 trains have also been closed due to unavailability of locomotives. So, out of the total 206 trains on the railway network, 156 were closed on Tuesday. On the other hand, top PR management has to face embarrassing situation when they could not get time to meet President Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad. A PR delegation was due to meet the president to discuss Pakistan Railways' affairs. But the delegation and even Railway Minister Ghulam Ahmad Bilour failed to get time from Presidency and the delegation returned back disappointedly, the sources added.
The PR officials went to Islamabad with full preparation to brief the President about the deteriorating situation of PR but could not get time to meet Asif Ali Zardari, said a senior officer. "Perhaps Railways is not in the priority list of the government," he opined.
Meanwhile, hundreds of PR workers could not get their monthly salaries even after the 10th day of their continued protest against the delay in payment of salaries in front of Pakistan Railways Headquarter. An official told this scribe the Finance Ministry rejected the PR summary for release of Rs 156 millions for payment of salaries to Railways workers. The department has no money to pay the salaries, he added. An official said the cheques issued to PSO, WAPDA and SNGPL bounced and electricity supply to 30 stations were cut while gas connections of 30 railway colonies were also disconnected.
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