By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The special trains on Eid ul Fitr introduced by Pakistan Railways had received an overwhelming response from thousands of travelers who visited their loved ones in their native towns through having a comfortable traveling experience.
The passengers have expressed their gratitude to Pakistan Railways for facilitating them on Eid ul Fitr through special trains which saved their precious time and money, making their journeys memorable.
A large number of passengers with families were seen at the railway stations according to whom the staff at the stations was quite helpful in informing them about timing of trains, platforms’ numbers, ticketing and booking issues. Azhar Rahjou who arrived at Rawalpindi Railway Station from Karachi said that Pakistan Railways had won the passengers’ hearts through completing Eid trains operation with a lot of improvement.
Another passenger, Muhammad Ehsan said that the services being provided by the management were very much improved while all the railway stations were neat and clean. Muhammad Ehsan said that although the tracks were not in good condition across the country, the timing of the trains was also improved as compared to the previous years.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan Railways has run four special trains on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr to facilitate the passengers leaving for their native towns to celebrate the auspicious occasion with their dear ones. According to the schedule issued by Pakistan Railways, the first Eid special train departed from Karachi to Peshawar and the other from Karachi Cantonment to Lahore.
As per the schedule, the first special train left Karachi for Peshawar on April 07 at 6:00 am while the second special train left from Quetta to Rawalpindi on the same day at 10:00 am. The third train left from Karachi Cantonment to Lahore on April 08 at 9:00 pm while the last Eid special passenger train left from Lahore to Karachi on April 09 at 5:00 pm.
On the other hand, Pakistan Railways Police had also tightened security arrangements in trains as well as at stations to avoid any untoward incident during Eid-ul-Fitr vacations.
The department had directed all superintendents (SPs) of Railways Police to depute sufficient force at exit and entry points of all railway stations and strictly watch to be carried out of suspicious persons, he added.
Pakistan Railways Police Commando Force had been deputed at vulnerable installations and in trains, while bomb disposal staff was also kept on alert for the search of luggage and passengers at railway stations.
“The SPs of Railways Police directed a complete check and search of empty racks before trains reach the platforms for departure towards their destinations,” the official added.
