The deepening fuel crisis in Pakistan has disrupted Pakistan Railways (PR) services, with trains progressively grinding to a halt. Several stations have ran out of fuel to keep the engines running. To alleviate the difficulty, Pakistan Railways is acquiring diesel from private companies. Reportedly, the fuel shortage is chronic owing to low income.
According to the reports, there are various reasons for the suspension of railway services across Pakistan, including a shortage of money as the state body continues to suffer financial setbacks as a result of the floods.
Amir Baloch, Additional General Manager, denied any diesel problem and confirmed that the Pakistan Railways was getting diesel from a private business. “The railroads will continue to purchase diesel from the private sector as needed,” he said. Reports mention that one of the contributing causes is the major disruption in railway operations caused by disastrous floods, as well as the resultant losses and damages. As a result, the railways have been unable to receive their monthly revenue.
The Lahore engine shed management had just 90,000 litres of diesel on hand, while the fuel at the Faisalabad station was not anticipated to last a day as of Tuesday. The problem is even worse in Multan and Sukkur divisions. The sole dedicated freight train and two passenger trains functioning on the entire network, however, were receiving much-needed diesel from the Lahore government.
According to local reports, the railway network now has only one train running between Lahore and Rawalpindi, one Khyber Mail train from Peshawar to Rohri station, and a few freight trains. Notably, Pakistan’s energy situation is expected to intensify as the country tries to obtain LNG at a reasonable price from the international market that has been severely impacted by the political fallout from the Russia-Ukraine war.
Furthermore, as fuel prices have risen, Pakistan’s energy production costs have also risen. Almost two-thirds of the country’s power is produced from fossil fuels. Crude oil prices have also reached their highest level in three years, reaching USD 86 a barrel. The energy situation is intensifying as the cost of LNG rises, and Pakistan is on track to face its third consecutive winter energy crisis due to a shortage of energy resources.
