QUETTA: Railway authorities cancelled the Quetta–Peshawar Jaffar Express after yesterday’s explosion on the track in the Dasht area of Mastung that derailed coaches of the train, leaving passengers stranded and causing major disruption to travel.
Officials said the explosion, which occurred yesterday, derailed six coaches of the train and injured 12 passengers. Although the injuries were minor, authorities confirmed that they had not yet removed the derailed coaches or restored the affected section of track.
The cancellation forced Jaffar Express passengers to endure significant inconvenience. Railway officials announced that all affected passengers would receive a full ticket refund.
Authorities added that repair teams were working to clear the wreckage and expected to complete restoration of the track later today.
The Jaffar Express has faced repeated disruptions in the past, but officials stressed that they were taking necessary measures to safeguard passengers and ensure smooth travel in the future.
Balochistan has seen a sharp rise in terrorist attacks in recent years. Militants have increasingly targeted railway lines and other transport infrastructure across the province.
In August 2025, a powerful explosion ripped through the tracks in Mastung, derailing six carriages of the Jaffer Express. No casualties were reported, but the blast forced authorities to suspend train services to and from Balochistan for four days. The Fitna al Hindustan claimed responsibility for the attack.
Just months earlier, in March 2025, armed militants bombed a section of track in the Bolan region, the fighters hijacked the Jaffer Express and held more than 100 passengers hostage for hours. The standoff ended in bloodshed as security forces launched a counter-operation, leaving all terrorists and freeing the hostages. Several militants and civilians are dead.
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Other attacks have targeted key railway infrastructure. An explosive device detonated between Mach and Ab-e-Gum injured a railway worker and disrupting traffic, while militants also struck a major railway bridge in the Bolan Pass, damaging the track over a dry riverbed and halting traffic on the crucial Quetta–Sibi route.
