Pakistan Railways’ live tracking app fails to update, stranding passengers

Pakistan Railways has rolled out its winter schedule, but the Live Tracking App, relied upon by passengers to monitor train arrivals and departures, has not been updated to reflect the new timetable.

This has led to a 59-minute shift between the schedule displayed in the app and actual train timings, which has inconvenienced many passengers, who otherwise have a valid ticket. The Live Tracking system was launched in 2019 to enable users to track train movements through mobile phones and get information on delays and arrivals.

However, because of the absence of updates to the app after the winter schedule changes, people are facing challenges when trying to plan their travel. The railway officials have said that updating the responsibility of the app lies in the headquarters, but the failure to do so has been a source of irritation.

The Live Tracking App was developed with help from Google Maps and cost Rs 7 million and Rs 70 million for 350 trackers placed on 325 railway engines. The app informs the users 15 minutes before the arrival time of a train and also gives information on any delay.

The Live Tracking App is used by passengers to track the arrival and departure of trains. However, a 59-minute difference between the timings displayed by the app and the actual train timings has left many passengers stranded unable to board their train even with tickets.