Collapsing bridges

The deadly collapse of a railway bridge near Gujranwala has brought the depleted state of the country’s transport infrastructure back into focus. On Thursday, a special train carrying army officials fell into a canal after a railway bridge collapsed. At least 19 people, including four army officers, were killed when three bogies were derailed. The train was taking the troops to Kharian from Pano Aqil. A relief train was sent to the scene from Lahore as well as two helicopters for assistance. Eighty injured passengers were rescued and an emergency was declared in local hospitals. The collapsed bridge was reported to have been built in 1904, and it is likely it had passed its recommended lifetime and was in a dilapidated state in recent years. However, as is usual, some officials began to make fantastic claims of sabotage, not technical or infrastructure failure. While Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif merely expressed concern and asked for immediate assistance, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique put the blame on ‘sabotage.’ Rafique claimed that the condition of railway bridges was checked four times a year while the DGPR Railways also claimed that the bridge was sufficiently strong. Pakistan Railways claimed that the bridge had been inspected in January and had been declared fit for railway traffic.
With a final report on the train accident set for three days, the early indications are that no one will need to face responsibility. The problem with Pakistan’s rail and road infrastructure is systemic. This is despite the fact that the PML-N continues to sell an infrastructure-oriented development approach for public consumption. Numerous road development projects are initiated every year without any attention paid to bridges and other connecting roads that are in a dangerous condition. The impact of the 2010 and 2011 floods on road and rail infrastructure has not been assessed, nor do the statements by the railways minister indicate that there

will be any shift in approach. With the federal government heavily committed to building hype around the improvements in transport that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor will bring, this latest train accident is another reminder that the basic transport infrastructure of the country is in a very poor state. The changes being made in the infrastructure appear to be cosmetic and safety is clearly not a priority. Railways has been ignored more than other forms of transport with the privatisation agenda of the government meaning that no money has been put into redoing its basic infrastructure. The train collapse is likely to be the product of decades of neglect, not a one-off error or sabotage. If the government is unable to securely transport troops in a time of war via rail, where do the poor citizens stand?