ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Caretaker Minister for Railways Mansoor Tariq said on Saturday that train service in Sindh would be restored next week as repair work was under way on war footing.

Talking to APP, the minister said that leaves of all railway workers had been cancelled to complete the rehabilitation work quickly.

Mr Tariq said that Pakistan Railways (PR) had suffered the loss of billions of rupees on account of attacks by mobs and miscreants on its properties and stations across the country, especially in Sindh.

He said 43 railway stations and 22 locomotives had been burnt while 20 railway stations and seven locomotives damaged in the attacks.

The minister said that 20 trains, 18 bridges, three track machines and five cranes had been set on fire.

He said that 27 block instruments, an essential item without which trains could not be operated, were damaged or looted.

One VHF tower between Rohri and Sukkur had been completely destroyed causing communication failure and 31 level crossings were burnt or damaged. Sixteen tracks had also been damaged at various places and 149 coaches burnt or damaged. He said that train service in entire Sindh was immediately suspended but in other provinces, trains were running as per normal routine.

The minister said that relief operation for passengers stranded at different railway stations, had been launched on Dec 28 with the assistance of Pakistan Army, the Edhi Foundation and local NGOs, providing shelter and food to these stranded passengers. A majority of stranded passengers, he said, had been transported to safer places while others were being taken care of.