Jaffar Express Derails Near Rawalpindi as Two Bogies Off Track

News Desk

RAWALPINDI: Passenger traffic along the main railway corridor faced severe disruption on Thursday after the power plant engine and two passenger bogies of the Jaffar Express derailed near Rawalpindi.

Emergency rescue teams, railway technical personnel, and security forces immediately rushed to the incident site to secure the area and initiate immediate relief operations for stranded passengers.

Preliminary reports from railway authorities indicate that no fatalities were recorded during the accident, though several passengers sustained minor bumps and bruises amidst the sudden, violent jolt.

Heavy machinery and relief trains equipped with cranes were dispatched from the regional locomotive shed to clear the tracks, lift the derailed carriages back onto the rails, and minimize travel delays for affected commuters.

The latest incident underscores persistent structural vulnerabilities across Pakistan Railways’ extensive transport network, where aging infrastructure, inadequate maintenance, and outdated signaling systems frequently lead to operational disruptions.

Thousands of daily passengers relying on long-distance passenger services face routine delays whenever key arterial lines experience derailments or equipment failures.

Senior officials from the Ministry of Railways have convened an emergency meeting and ordered a high-level technical inquiry into the root cause of the derailment.

Investigators are assessing whether track deformation, mechanical malfunction in the power engine, or operational negligence led to the mishap, with a preliminary findings report expected within 48 hours.