LAHORE: Heavy rains and floods have caused major disruption to train services and power supply across Punjab, forcing Pakistan Railways to suspend operations on five sections, while electricity companies reported heavy damage to infrastructure.
According to a Pakistan Railways report, the Narowal-Sialkot rail section has been closed since Aug 27 after floodwater breached the track and misaligned a bridge near Aik Nullah. Repair work is underway and train operations are expected to resume by Sept 12.
The Chak Jhumra-Shaheenabad (Sargodha) section was also shut down on Aug 29 after exceptionally high flood levels damaged bridges No. 132 and 134 near Chiniot. Restoration work is in progress.
Similarly, the Wazirabad-Sialkot section has been closed since Sept 3 after floodwater overtopped the tracks between Wazirabad and Sodhra Kopra. The Jhang-Shaheenabad section has been shut since Aug 28 after flooding damaged a portion of the Rivaz Railway Bridge over the River Chenab.
The Khanewal-Shorkot section was closed on Sept 3 due to high flood levels near Abdul Hakim Bridge and several track breaches in the area.
Other parts of the railway network also faced temporary issues. In the Shahdra-Faisalabad section, train speed has been restricted due to damage caused by floodwater last month.
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The Tezgam Express was detained for 50 minutes after a tree fell on the Lahore-Badami Bagh section, while the Sialkot Express faced a 2-hour delay last month due to 12 inches of floodwater on the Uggoki-Sialkot section.
Floods also disrupted rail services in other provinces. The Port Qasim-Bin Qasim section was blocked for 12 hours on Aug 20, while the Kotri-Dadu section was shut for three hours the same day due to landslides. Freight train operations on the Tando Adam-Hyderabad section were halted for 15 hours on Aug 22 due to water accumulation in the Hyderabad yard. The Peshawar Saddar-Cantt section was also closed for two hours on Aug 18 after urban flooding.
Meanwhile, power distribution companies also reported heavy losses. Lahore Electric Supply Company (Lesco) said that 67 feeders were affected in Lahore, Kasur, Nankana, Okara, and Sheikhupura districts. Of these, 55 feeders have been restored, but 13,073 consumers are still without electricity.
“Floods have badly affected our infrastructure. Our teams are working round the clock, and only 17% of the affected consumers are still waiting for restoration,” said Lesco CEO Ramzan Butt.
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Floodwaters damaged cables and power installations in Kasur and Okara, while parts of Lahore also faced issues.
Officials reported similar losses in the areas of Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco), Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco), and Faisalabad Electric Supply Company (Fesco).
“In Bajwat, Sialkot, residents of 85 villages have been without electricity since Aug 26,” a Gepco official said.
The ongoing floods have left thousands stranded and caused major disruptions, with repair and restoration efforts continuing across the province.
