Pakistan Train Derailment Kills at Least Five and Injures Dozens

At least five people have been killed and more than 30 injured after all 14 carriages of the Rehman Baba Express derailed in Pakistan’s Punjab province, raising renewed concerns over railway safety and infrastructure maintenance.

A passenger train travelling from Karachi to Peshawar derailed early on Tuesday, 13 October, near Sher Shah railway station in the Multan district of Punjab province. The accident occurred at approximately 5:15 am local time, when the Rehman Baba Express came off the tracks, leaving multiple carriages overturned and passengers trapped inside.

Rescue workers, police officers and local residents took part in the emergency response. Cranes were brought in to remove damaged carriages, while ambulances transported injured passengers to Nishtar Hospital in Multan. Authorities reported that at least one person was in critical condition. All passengers were subsequently evacuated, and a relief train and medical unit were dispatched to the scene.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed the authorities to accelerate rescue operations and ensure that the injured received medical treatment. Railway officials also launched an investigation into the circumstances of the derailment, although its cause had not been established by the time of the initial reports.

Railway Safety Under Scrutiny

The derailment comes amid persistent concerns about the condition of Pakistan’s railway network, where ageing infrastructure, maintenance deficiencies and weaknesses in operational safety have contributed to a series of accidents. The latest incident has renewed questions about whether existing inspection and maintenance procedures are sufficient to protect passengers on heavily used routes.

Pakistan’s railway system connects major urban centres across a country of more than 240 million people. Passenger trains remain an important means of transport, particularly for people travelling long distances between the country’s southern commercial hub of Karachi and cities in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Disruptions to major routes can therefore affect thousands of passengers, while serious accidents place additional pressure on emergency services and hospitals.

The Rehman Baba Express derailment is also part of a wider pattern of railway incidents reported in Pakistan during 2026. On 1 October, two passenger trains, the Shalimar Express and Pakistan Express, reportedly experienced derailments or related incidents that narrowly avoided major accidents. Other incidents involving passenger and freight services have also been reported throughout the year.

These recurring events have intensified scrutiny of Pakistan Railways, including the maintenance of rolling stock and tracks. Railway officials have previously acknowledged maintenance shortcomings, while promising corrective measures. The latest accident is likely to increase pressure on the authorities to demonstrate whether those measures are producing tangible improvements.

A History of Deadly Accidents

Pakistan has experienced several major railway disasters in recent years. In August 2023, the Hazara Express derailed near Nawabshah in Sindh province, killing at least 30 people and injuring more than 100. The accident prompted renewed scrutiny of railway infrastructure, maintenance practices and the accountability of officials responsible for safety.

The persistence of serious incidents points to a challenge that extends beyond individual technical failures. Establishing the cause of each derailment is essential, but preventing further accidents also requires effective inspections, reliable signalling systems, properly maintained carriages and tracks, and transparent investigations into possible negligence.