LAHORE: As foggy conditions continue to disrupt train schedules across the country, Pakistan Railways’ divisional formations have directed drivers, assistant drivers and other staff responsible for train operations to remain vigilant and strictly follow all safety-related standard operating procedures to avert accidents.
Passengers at major railway stations, particularly along the main line, continue to face difficulties due to hours-long delays in the arrival and departure of passenger trains amid cold weather and poor visibility.
An official source told Dawn on Thursday that officials responsible for safe train operations nationwide had been placed on high alert and instructed to ensure the safety of passengers and freight during the ongoing cold wave and dense fog. The directions apply to divisional and assistant executive engineers, station masters and their assistants, pointsmen, train examiners, drivers and assistant drivers, brake guards, signalling staff and police personnel deputed for train patrolling.
The source said special instructions had been issued to drivers and assistant drivers to adopt extraordinary precautionary measures while passing through areas affected by dense fog along their routes.
A train driver told this reporter that due to foggy weather, trains were being operated at speeds ranging between 30 and 40 kilometres per hour in low-visibility areas. He said the speed depended on visibility conditions, adding that trains were slowed down in dense fog and accelerated only when conditions improved.
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The driver said that while drivers remained in contact with operations staff at stations through the phone system, they had no communication with staff at manned level crossings. He warned that unmanned level crossings had become particularly dangerous during foggy conditions, as people or vehicles could suddenly appear on the tracks.
He urged railway authorities to install powerful fog lights on locomotives to improve visibility during the current weather conditions. Referring to a recent incident, he recalled that Pakistan Railways had suffered a serious accident when a train collided with a police van at an unmanned level crossing near Sialkot.
The weather continues to disrupt the trains schedule across the railway network in the country for the last many days.https://t.co/EsRM2c4y7K
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 9, 2026
Meanwhile, fog has continued to disrupt train schedules across the railway network for several days. On Thursday, the 42-down Karakoram Express departed late from Lahore for Karachi, while the 15-down Karachi Express and several other trains also left Lahore behind schedule after arriving late due to fog.
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