Restoring train services on the Lahore-Faisalabad railway route via Sheikhupura will take at least four months after recent floods severely damaged a railway bridge and a section of the track, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi said.
Speaking to Dawn on Sunday, Abbasi said the damage requires the construction of a new bridge and track before railway traffic can resume on the affected section.
The minister said he had ordered the preparation of a feasibility report, which officials must complete within 20 days. Reconstruction work will begin after the report, with Pakistan Railways engineers responsible for rebuilding the bridge and restoring the damaged track.
Abbasi said earlier estimates had suggested that the route could reopen within a month, but the extent of the flood damage made that timeline unrealistic.
He inspected the damaged railway bridge and track near Missan Kalar in Sheikhupura district on Sunday and directed officials to include all technical and construction requirements in the feasibility report.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has arranged alternative routes for affected trains. Trains traveling toward Karachi and other southern destinations via Faisalabad will use the Sahiwal and Khanewal route on Main Line 1.
Other trains serving Faisalabad will operate through alternative local routes. Abbasi directed officials to complete the restoration work as quickly as possible while meeting safety and technical standards.
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