BAHAWALPUR, Dec 30: The train operations on Samasatta-Bahawalnagar section have been suspended with immediate effect because of a damaged underpass near the Islami Colony close to Bahawalpur city, according to reliable sources.

The underpass on Yazman Road leads to the Bahawalpur Airport as well as Yazman, Fort Abbas, Marot and the historic fort of Derawar in Cholistan. This underpass has an overhead bridge for the railway line linking Karachi to Bahawalnagar via Samasatta. In pre-partition days, this railway line linked New Delhi to Karachi via Bhatinda. The length of the railway line from Samasatta to Bahawalnagar is 125 miles.

Sources said a big trailer had damaged the bridge while passing through the century-old underpass.

People travelling to Karachi from Bahawalnagar are facing difficulties due to the closure of railway line.

There were two passenger trains running between Samasatta and Bahawalnagar in addition to a goods trains. A coach of these passenger trains was attached to the Karachi-bound trains at the Samasatta railway junction. Similarly, a coach was detached at the Samasatta junction from trains coming from Karachi and attached to those bound for Bahawalnagar. The Bahawalnagar railway station is further linked with the remote areas of Fort Abbas and Harunabad.

SAMASATTA-ROHRI: A 12-member Chinese delegation paid a visit to the Samasatta railway junction to inspect the track and modernize the signals on Samasatta-Rohri section. The Pakistan Railways has entered into an agreement with Chinese railways for this project, which will be executed from 2004 to 2007.