Railways remained one of the most ignored sectors in Balochistan where Lahore failed to look after the interests of the Province and its people.

Indeed Pakistan Railways and it is heartening to see that new Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad also appears to be committed to fully reviving the railways and make it a profitable entity, for which certainly upgradation of existing rail tracks and improvement in services is of paramount importance.

The multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has afforded an opportunity to the railways to play a pivotal role for transportation of goods within the region.

Up till now, the focus remained on the construction of road infrastructure and as these projects are nearing completion, it is time to shift the focus on the upgradation of rail tracks which in fact is the fastest and cheapest mode of transportation.

Balochistan Railways is another sector which remained ignored and hardly any significant amount was spent even for maintenance and improvement of existing railway services in decades. Hundreds of railway stations are in shambles, Railway assets unguarded and unprotected, faulty railway tracks pose a serious threat to life of the passengers using trains in Balochistan.

The Railway Minister and his more shrewd planners made a smart move to cheat the people by diverting the route of railway track to a reverse direction only to befool the world market forces on the one side and satisfy some of the naïve people that Gwadar is connected with the waste land of Pakistan where no business and railway cargo is available.

Quetta-Zahedan section of Pakistan Railways is on route of international rail service and it is completely ignored to this date. Not a single penny was spent on this railway section linking Pakistan with other regional countries. Pakistan can trade with Iran, Turkey and other countries in a big way only through this section of Pakistan Railways.

The people denied decent railway service both the travel facilities and cargo services simply because Balochistan had never been on the priority of the rulers for the past 66 years.

As a part of the Forward Policy of the British colonial rulers tried to contain Russia and its proxy Afghanistan, the Britons worked hard to develop the Railways as part of the strategic plan to defend the British Empire in India from any Russian or Afghan influence.

The Balochistan Railways was part of the strategic plan of the British colonial rulers to defend Balochistan on a possible attack from Russia/Afghanistan to destabilize the British Empire in India.

Now hundreds of passenger buses are operating on both the major routes linking Quetta with Chaman on the Afghan border and Taftan on the border with the Iranian Balochistan.

In Pakistan, the Federal Government had made significant investment in developing Railways and improving its services only in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh and ignoring Balochistan. Pakistan Railways had been made a profitable organisation by inducting railway engines, adding more comfortable boogies, improving tracks and overall rail services to the people.

The rail disaster in Bolan was said to be the negligence and improper maintenance service to railway engines causing brake failure killing more than a dozen persons and wounding many more.

Balochistan is the only Province which can provide international route to Pakistan through the Zahedan Railways through connectivity.

If the Government replaces the existing railway track with broad gauge line, then the entire railway system of Pakistan will be connected with the international railway system in all direction, including the landlocked Central Asian region.

In such a case only, Pakistan can trade with Iran, Turkey and other countries of the Southern Europe through rail, the cheaper mode of commercial transport ensuring early and efficient delivery of goods.     

Hopefully, the representatives of Balochistan in the Federal Parliament will take up the issues with the Federal Government making significant investment to improve rail service in Balochistan and connect Gwadar with the Railway system of the country.