LAHORE, Sept 9: Widespread rains all over the country added to the woes of rail passengers on Sunday, delaying the arrival and departure of trains from seven to 22 hours.

The worst affected were the commuters who had opted to travel by Karachi-bound Night Coach from Lahore as the train was cancelled some 14 hours after its scheduled departure time.

Shalimar Express was seven hours behind its schedule, Tezgam 17, Allama Iqbal Express 22, Fareed Express and Karachi Express 20 while Khyber Mail 12 hours late.

Already coping with the acute shortage of locomotives, railways authorities opted to cancel operation of trains scheduled to leave Lahore for Rawalpindi and Sialkot.

With the station master staying away from his room and staff manning the information desk unable to update the passengers about the arrival and departure of trains, passengers at the platforms resorted to protest.

A Pakistan Railways spokesman said late in the evening that the continuous rain had damaged track at several places in Punjab and Sindh.

He said traffic was restored between Machi Goth and Sadiqabad on Khanpur-Rohri section after hectic efforts while trains movement between Multan and Bahawalpur section was not possible owing flooding near Sher Shah bypass.

The Kot Addu-Dera Ghazi Khan section has been closed for trains owing to flooding. Khushhal Khan Khattak Express, running between Karachi and Peshawar through Kashmor and Dera Ghazi Khan, has been re-routed through the main track.