Rawalpindi - As road closures in the federal capital intensify ahead of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) "Do-or-Die" protest, the railway system has been placed under immense strain, with trains arriving and departing Rawalpindi Station packed well beyond their capacity.
Authorities have sealed off all major routes leading to Islamabad in anticipation of a large influx of PTI workers and supporters from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who are set to march on the city today. With public transport suspended, rail services have become the primary mode of transportation for those traveling to the capital.
Over the weekend, Rawalpindi Railway Station saw a massive surge in passenger traffic, with trains arriving from major cities like Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Lahore, and Faisalabad. On Saturday, all 14 trains scheduled to arrive in Rawalpindi were overcrowded, particularly those from Lahore and Faisalabad, which were fully booked.
By Sunday, the situation worsened, as all 12 outbound trains to Karachi and Lahore from Rawalpindi were also fully booked. Reservations for trains heading to Lahore, Multan, and Karachi were closed for Sunday and Monday due to overwhelming demand.
Trains like the Green Line, Rehman Baba, Awami, Tezgam, Sir Syed, Hazara Express, Khyber Mail, and Pakistan Express, arriving from Karachi, carried passengers at more than double their intended capacity. Similarly, four trains operating between Lahore and Rawalpindi were reported to be heavily overcrowded.
Despite the record-breaking rush, there was no noticeable increase in security or crowd management measures at Rawalpindi Railway Station, leaving passengers to cope with the chaos on their own.
The ongoing strain on the railway system highlights the mounting pressures on public infrastructure as the city braces for what is expected to be a historic protest march.
