Railways Derailed

March 25, 2026

Newspaper, Opinions, Editorials

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The derailment of the Tezgam Express near Lodhran is yet another grim reminder that Pakistan Railways continues to operate on the edge of systemic failure. Barely has the dust settled on previous incidents, and already another train has veered off the tracks, leaving multiple passengers injured and raising once again the same troubling questions that remain persistently unanswered.

Initial reports indicate that several individuals required immediate medical attention, with some treated on-site and others shifted to the district headquarters hospital. Yet, as is now routine in such tragedies, clarity remains elusive. Even the train’s driver has stated that he cannot explain how the derailment occurred, a statement that is as alarming as it is revealing. When those responsible for operating the system cannot account for its failures, the problem clearly runs far deeper than individual error.

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Predictably, a “high-level team” has been constituted to investigate the incident. This has become an almost ceremonial response, repeated after every major accident, yet rarely followed by transparent findings or meaningful reform. The pattern is now unmistakable: derailment, injury, official inquiry, and eventual silence. In this cycle, accountability is diluted and systemic flaws remain unaddressed.

This latest incident cannot be viewed in isolation. It is part of a broader pattern of neglect, where ageing infrastructure, questionable maintenance standards, and operational lapses converge to create conditions ripe for disaster. Each successive derailment chips away at public trust, not only in Pakistan Railways as an institution but in the state’s ability to ensure the safety of its citizens.

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What makes the situation even more untenable is the persistent attempt to treat these events as anomalies rather than symptoms of a deeper institutional malaise. Until Pakistan Railways confronts its structural deficiencies with honesty and urgency, these accidents will continue to recur.

The cost of this negligence is not merely operational failure; it is measured in human lives, in injuries, and in the steady erosion of confidence in a system that millions depend upon.

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