Timeline of major train accidents in Pakistan

Railways was considered the most important mode of transportation in Pakistan until 1970s. During its peak years from 1955 to 1960, Pakistan Railways had handled 73pc of the country's freight traffic which had been reduced to less than 4% in 2015 .Despite keeping its targets high, Pakistan Railways has a history of deadly train accidents.

According to Railways data, as many as 70 million passengers used Pakistan Railways for commutation during 2018-19. Pakistan Railways has often been criticised for its deteriorating service and declining number of passengers and trains over the years.

According to its growth vision till 2026, the PR seeks to increase its share of the transportation sector from about 5% currently to 20%; with ₨886.68 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) rail upgrade budget.

Founded in 1861, Pakistan Railways owns 4,800 miles (7,791 km) of track across Pakistan.

Here is the timeline of major train accidents in Pakistan’s history since 1953.

1953:

In 1953, some 200 people were killed in a railway accident at Jhampeer.

1954:

In 1954, at least 60 people were killed in an accident at Jhang Shahi.

1969:

In 1969, over 80 people were killed in the Liaqatpur railway accident.

October 1987:

On October 22, 1987, at least 28 people were killed and 60 others injured when a bus had collided with a train near the city of Moro, about 200 miles north of Karachi.

January 1990:  

On the night between January 3 and January 4, 1990, 350 people were killed in a train accident at Sangi village, near Pannu Aqil Cantonment, some 15km from Sukkur.

June 1991:

On June 8, 1991, a crowded passenger train had again slammed into a freight train, killing at least 100 people. This Karachi-Lahore-Islamabad express had crashed into the freight train parked at the station in Ghotki, 400 miles north of Karachi.

November 1992:

In November 1992, 54 people were again killed in an accident at the Ghotki railway station after a passenger train had rammed into the back of a freight train.

March 1997:

On March 3, 1997, at least 14 people were killed and about 100 injured in a train crash near Khanewal city. Officials said six cars of a Karachi-bound passenger train had derailed after it had failed to stop at a junction and was diverted onto a dead-end track to avoid a more serious collision.

March 2002:

On March 17, 2002, seven people were killed and nearly 15 others were injured when a train from Lahore to Faisalabad derailed near Sheikhupura.

Sept 2002:

On Sept 27, 2002 seven people died, 57 were injured as a train derailed near Sibi — eight bogies of the Quetta Express derailed as a railway bridge on the Sibi-Jacobabad section collapsed.

Sept 2003:

On Sept 21, 2003, 28 people were killed, 10 others were injured when a train collided with a bus near Malikwal, Mandi Bahauddin district.

July 2005:

On July 13, 2005, at least 110 people had perished after Quetta Express was hit from behind at Ghotki station by another train (Karachi Express), which had missed a signal. The collision had caused several of the cars to derail. The derailed cars were subsequently hit by a third train (Tezgam). The three trains were carrying over 3000 passengers. Some sources had claimed that the death toll was around 500.

August 2005:

In August 2005, an upcountry Super Parcels Express had jumped the rails while crossing the Malir Bridge near Landhi in the Karachi Division. Eight bogies were substantially damaged when an axle had broken due to overloading.

February 2006:

In February 2006, at least one person was killed and 30 others were injured when Lahore-bound Karakoram Express had derailed near Bahawalpur.

It was again in February 2006 that a Chinese container train carrying chemicals had collided with a stationary oil train some 180km from Karachi. The action had sparked a fire but there were no casualties.

August 2006:

In August 2006, seven coaches of Lahore Express had jumped the rails near Domeli, a station 33 kms short of Jhelum. Four of the coaches had plunged into a 50 feet ravine.

December 2007:

In December 2007, nearly 50 people had died in a derailment incident near the town of Mehrabpur in Sindh. Around14 of the train's 16 carriages had left the tracks, some being mangled by the crash, others simply sliding down an embankment into the water.

Nov 2009:

On Nov 3, 2009, at least 18 people were killed and 45 others injured when the Allama Iqbal Express collided head-on with a goods train in Karachi.

Aug 2011:

On Aug 30, 2011, three people, including the assistant driver of the train, died while 19 others were injured when the Karachi-bound Khyber Mail ran into a stationary passenger train nearly 2km from the Badami Bagh Railway Station in Lahore.

July 2013:

In July 2013, at least 14 members of an extended family were killed by a speeding train that hit a motorcycle rickshaw near Khanpur village, about 50 km from Gujranwala.

It was also in July 2013 that two people lost lives when a Rawalpindi-bound train derailed from its tracks near Gujranwala.

May 2014:

On May 7, 2014, two people were killed, 15 others injured as the Karakoram Express derailed near the Bandhi railway station, some 55km from Nawabshah.

October 2014:

In October 2014, a business train had hit a freight train near Ran Pathani, leading to the unnatural demise of an assistant driver.

November 2014:

On November 11, 2014, fifty-eight people died following a collision between a passenger coach and truck near the Theri Bypass in Khairpur.

July 2015:

On July 2, 2015, three carriages of a special train fell into a canal and another derailed near Gujranwala, leaving around 20 dead.

November 2015:

On November 17, 2015, Jaffar Express had derailed near a place called "Aab-e-Gum" in Balochistan, leading to another 20 deaths.

Oct 2016:

On Oct 8, 2016, four people were killed, 10 others were injured when a freight train collided with a bus carrying workers of a factory at Landa level-crossing near Gujjar Chowk.

November 2016:

The Bahauddin Zakaria Express collided with the Fareed Express (parked at the Landhi railway station) on 3 November 2016, killing 21 people.

July 2019:

On July 11, 2019, Akbar Express had a parked cargo train at the Walhaar Station near Sadiqabad, leaving at least 21 people dead and 100 injured.

October 2019:

On 31 October 2019, at least 75 people died after a fire broke out in Tezgam Express – travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi – after a gas canister reportedly exploded on board as the train was passing through Rahim Yar Khan.