KARACHI, Jan 27: Thousands of passengers suffered as rail traffic remained suspended for several hours between Karachi and the upcountry owing to derailment of a goods train near Tando Adam on the main line.

As the railway officials remained busy in the operation to restore traffic by clearing the track, the passengers of a number of trains remained stranded at different railway stations on Friday.

Railway officials said it took them five hours to remove the derailed wagons from the track at the Bali Jani station, some 15kms from Hyderabad.

Three upcountry-bound trains — Zikarya Express, Karachi Express and Tezgam — were delayed by five hours while the Faisalabad Express arrived Karachi eight hours behind the schedule, the officials said.