Karachi, Apr 14 (PTI) The Bolan Mail train from Karachi to Quetta was stopped at Jacobabad railway station due to security reasons, Pakistan Railways officials said.
Officials said the train, which reached Jacobabad just after midnight on Sunday, was not allowed to proceed as it did not get a security clearance, Dawn News reported.
Pakistan Railways Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Amir Ali Baloch said train operations were not allowed in Balochistan during night-time.
A senior Railways official from the Quetta division said the train’s onward journey was suspended with about 150 passengers sent to Quetta and other destinations via buses under strict security measures.
“This train reached Jacobabad in the night hours, and if it had continued its journey, it would have reached Sibi late at night. Therefore, we stopped the train at Jacobabad, telling the passengers to wait until morning,” the CEO said.
He said some passengers were given a refund, whereas around 100 asked railway authorities to arrange alternative transport.
However, there were conflicting reports about the transportation arrangements, and eye-witnesses said passengers protested in Jacobabad after railway authorities asked them to disembark.
The enraged passengers said the railway administration charged them the fare from Karachi to Quetta but left them in the middle of the night.
Calling it injustice, the passengers said the fare from Jacobabad to Quetta was more than a thousand rupees but the railway administration returned only PKR 200 to some passengers, while others were not reimbursed at all.
Meanwhile, the timings of the Bolan Mail are set to be revised from Tuesday onwards.
According to an announcement by Pakistan Railways, the train will now leave four hours earlier.
Passengers, especially those with bookings, have been asked to plan their travel accordingly. (PTI) PY PY
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