MULTAN, Dec 22: Railway traffic on the main track near Bahawalpur remained suspended for several hours after derailment of an engine on Wednesday.

Reports reaching here revealed that the engine of a Karachi-bound Tezgam Express became inoperative due to some technical fault near the Dera Nawab Sahib Railway Station situated between Samasatta and Khanpur section.

The local railway authorities dispatched the engine of a goods train to replace the out-of-order engine of the Tezgam. The relief engine overturned just short of the troubled train about 1.10am.

It reportedly derailed in a manner that it fell on both the up and down tracks. Rescue workers took almost six hours in putting the engine back. Some 20 trains on both the tracks reached at their destinations late by three to seven hours.

The trains affected by the derailment on the down track were the Faisalabad Night Coach, Karachi Express, Quetta Express, Super Express, Awam Express, Tezgam Express (6-down), Chenab Express, Bahawalpur Express, Tezgam (8-down) and a slow-moving passenger train.

While the Karakoram Express, Millat Express, Quetta Express, Allama Iqbal Express, Tezgam Express, Karachi Express, Winter Express, Zakariya Express, Farid Express and the Khyber Mail were delayed while rolling on the up track.

When contacted, Railways divisional superintendent in Multan, Mian Ahsan Mahmood, declined to comment on the derailment. He said an inquiry had been ordered into the matter.

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