Pakistan Railways announced that field officers will not receive any leave for the next three months, following an emergency declaration aimed at improving train safety.
The move follows instructions from Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, according to a statement released by the railway's Lahore headquarters.
Under the new rules, officers must carry out field visits and oversee train operations on Sundays, and those traveling for official business are required to use trains.
Chief engineers of the civil and mechanical divisions have been told to send daily reports to the ministry on issues they supervise, while the head of safety must also submit daily updates.
These emergency actions will stay in place until December 31.
"We will provide passengers with the safest possible travel in line with the prime minister's vision," Abbasi said.
The decision arrives as safety concerns grow, with more than 55 passenger and freight train accidents reported across Pakistan since January 2026.
Railway sources say the crashes have caused several deaths, dozens of injuries, and millions of rupees in damage to railway infrastructure.
Recent months have seen derailments involving the Rawal Express, Khyber Mail and the Yusufwala coal train.
Sources identified the Sukkur, Karachi and Multan divisions as the regions with the highest accident counts.
These repeated events have sparked questions about maintenance standards and the enforcement of safety measures, despite earlier directives from the railways minister.
