QUETTA: Train services from Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan will remain suspended for a second consecutive day on Friday, confirmed Pakistan Railways.
Pakistan Railways said that outbound and inbound train services to and from Balochistan will remain suspended due to ongoing railway track repairs.
The suspension means no trains will depart from Balochistan for other parts of the country.
Pakistan Railways said engineers are continuing repairs on the affected railway track before services can safely resume.
The railway operator had also suspended train operations from the province on the previous day for the same reason.
Authorities canceled the departure of the Jaffar Express from Quetta to Peshawar on Friday.
The inbound Jaffar Express from Peshawar to Quetta will terminate at Jacobabad instead of completing its scheduled journey, railway officials said.
Pakistan Railways said passengers affected by the cancellations will receive full refunds for their tickets.
Railway authorities did not specify when normal train operations from Balochistan would resume.
FAQs
Question: How many times have train Services been suspended in Balochistan in 2026?
Answer: There have been at least six suspension of the train services in Balochistan in the current year.
Here’s a timeline based on publicly reported announcements:
| Date | Reason | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Late January/early February | Security after militant attacks | Rail operations from Quetta were suspended for several days following coordinated attacks in Balochistan. |
| March 27 | Track repairs/technical reasons | Jaffar Express canceled; inbound train terminated at Jacobabad. |
| May 10 | “Unavoidable reasons” | Quetta rail operations suspended until further notice; Jaffar Express canceled |
| May 18–19 | Unavoidable circumstances | Two-day suspension; Jaffar Express canceled both days. |
| May 25–31 | After Quetta shuttle train bombing | Operations suspended after the bombing. Services briefly resumed, were suspended again, and finally restored on May 31. |
| July 9–10 | Track repairs | Outbound and inbound services suspended again for at least two days. |
Question: Why has Jaffar Express been suspended so frequently?
The main reasons include:
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Security threats: After the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express by Baloch Liberation Army, also known as Fitna al Hindustan, Pakistan Railways has frequently suspended the service whenever intelligence agencies warn of possible attacks or the security situation deteriorates
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Militant attacks on railway infrastructure: Bomb blasts, attacks on railway tracks, and assaults on trains have forced authorities to halt operations until routes are declared safe.
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Track repairs: Several suspensions in 2026, including those in March, April and July, were officially attributed to railway track maintenance and repair work
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Aftermath of security incidents: Even when no attack directly targets the Jaffar Express, nearby incidents—such as the suicide bombing near the Chaman railway crossing in May 2026—have led Pakistan Railways to suspend services as a precaution. The service was restored briefly before being suspended again.
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Weather and infrastructure conditions: Heavy rainfall and damaged railway infrastructure have also resulted in temporary cancellations.
