Train accidents have become a routine occurrence in the country, as the 38 Down Fareed Express, traveling from Lahore to Karachi, derailed while entering platform two at Kotri Railway Junction.
According to initial reports, no passengers were injured. However, train operations on the down track have been suspended following the accident.
Railway staff and cranes have been called in to restore the derailed coaches. Meanwhile, passengers from the affected coaches are being shifted to other compartments. The train will continue its journey toward its destination once the transfers are complete.
It is estimated that restoration of the track will take more than five hours.
Read: Decrepit infrastructure fueling derailments
It is worth mentioning that on September 22, thirteen wagons of a freight train traveling from Karachi to Yusufwala derailed near Meting Station, severely disrupting traffic on the up track.
According to sources of The Express Tribune, more than 200 incidents of train derailment have been reported each year in Punjab over the past four years. In 2021, 280 incidents of derailment of freight and passenger trains on the main and branch lines were reported followed by 230 incidents in 2022, 250 in 2023, 270 in 2024, and 130 incidents during the first four months of 2025. The majority of derailment incidents were reported from Sukkur division, followed by Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta.
