The railways administration has decided to shut down the Shalimar Express train that goes between Karachi and Lahore via Faislabad from July 15. Instead, the train from Mohenjo Daro to Sehwan, Karachi will be restored via the ML2 track.
The decision has raised concerns among passengers and the business community, who requested Railways Minister Sheikh Rasheed to not take this step. Concerns arose as there are no major trains that leave in early hours of the day and cross through Lahore, Faislabad, Multan, Lodhran, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Nawabshah, Hyderabad and Karachi.
Currently, the Shalimar Express departs from both Lahore and Karachi at 6am and crosses through the above mentioned areas till it reaches its destination at the other city by midnight. All day long passengers – travelling for personal or commercial purposes – from the larger and smaller cities hop on board the train. As the train leaves early, it completes the 18-hour journey during the same day.
Meanwhile, the railways department has prepared a report for the closure of the Shalimar Express Train, which will cause the department to incur financial losses even as most other trains on the railways network run at the current financial deficit.
