LAHORE - Despite the appointment of new Chairman and recent reshuffling of senior officers, the fate of Pakistan Railways could not shine due to unavailability of funds and corruption culture prevailing in department, the insiders of PR seeking anonymity said. Cash-stricken federal government is not providing Rs 2.5 billion committed under Public Sector Development Plan for the department, in addition to this over-drafting of loans, acute shortages of locomotives, restructuring in the department, scrap theft, settlement of land disputes with provinces and change in bureaucratic culture are the huge challenges facing Pakistan Railways. Recently, Indian Railways rolled out its first air-conditioned double-decker train but 'we have not locomotives even for passenger and freight operations, an official of the department said while talking to The Nation. Out of total 520 fleet of locomotives only 150 were in operation, he added. The railways was a profitable organisation till 70s because it was being run by an autonomous board but in 1990 the appointment of bureaucrats badly politicise PR which resulted rapid decline of department. 'What we need is that government should allow PR to take decisions independently, the Railwaymen said. Though 'it is being run as welfare department but now as the world trends have been changed we should run PR as corporate institute, they added. Public Account Committee on Railways Affairs is reviewing the audit reports of the previous years while the court is also hearing cases regarding scrap theft and bulk tendering issues but the need of the hour is to stop mismanagement in future. It is a big question mark that whether the newly appointed chairman can halt the 'corruption stories in future or not and this decide the fate of the department, they believed.