Perpared by: Nadeem Meraj INTRODUCTION PAKISTAN RAILWAYS Pakistan Railways is the state-owned railway company of Pakistan. It is a large organization under the administration of the Pakistani Government's Ministry of Railways. Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation in the farthest corners of the country and brings them closer for business, sightseeing, pilgrimage and education. It has been a great integrating force and forms the life line of the country by catering to its needs for large scale movement of people and freight. The current chairman is Mr. Shakil Durrani. HISTORY OF PAKISTAN RAILWAYS History of rail transport in Pakistan Extent of the Railway network in 1909 The possibility of Karachi as a sea port was first noticed in the middle of 19th century. Sir Henry Edward Frere was appointed Commissioner of Sindh after its annexation with Bombay in 1847 and sought permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin a survey for a sea port. He also initiated the survey for a railway line in 1858. It was proposed that a railway line from Karachi City to Kotri, steam navigation up the Indus and Chenab rivers up to Multan and from there another railway to Lahore and beyond be constructed.
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Perpared by: Nadeem Meraj
INTRODUCTION
PAKISTAN RAILWAYS
Pakistan Railways is the state-owned railway company of Pakistan. It is a large
organization under the administration of the Pakistani Government's Ministry of
Railways. Pakistan Railways provides an important mode of transportation in the
farthest corners of the country and brings them closer for business, sightseeing,
pilgrimage and education. It has been a great integrating force and forms the life line
of the country by catering to its needs for large scale movement of people and freight.
The current chairman is Mr. Shakil Durrani.
HISTORY OF PAKISTAN RAILWAYS
History of rail transport in Pakistan
Extent of the Railway network in 1909 The possibility of Karachi as a sea port was
first noticed in the middle of 19th century. Sir Henry Edward Frere was appointed
Commissioner of Sindh after its annexation with Bombay in 1847 and sought
permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin a survey for a sea port. He also initiated the
survey for a railway line in 1858. It was proposed that a railway line from Karachi
City to Kotri, steam navigation up the Indus and Chenab rivers up to Multan and from
there another railway to Lahore and beyond be constructed.
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It was on 13 May 1861, that the first railway line was opened for public traffic
between Karachi City and Kotri, a distance of 105 miles (169 km). The line between
Karachi City and Kiamari was opened on 16 June 1889. During 1897 the line from
Keamari to Kotri was doubled.
The railway line from Peshawar to Karachi closely follows Alexander’s line of march
through the Hindu Kush mountains to the Arabian Sea. Different sections on the
existing main line from Peshawar to Lahore and Multan and branch lines were
constructed in the last quarter of 19th century and early years of 20th century.
The four sections, i.e., Scinde (Sindh) Railways, Indian Flotilla Company, Punjab
Railway and Delhi Railways, working in a single company, were later on
amalgamated into the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railways Company and purchased by
the Secretary of State for India in 1885, and in January 1886, it was named North
Western State Railways, which was later on renamed as North Western Railway.
At the time of independence, 1,947 route miles (3,133 km) of North Western
Railways were transferred to India, leaving 5,048 route miles (8,122 km) to Pakistan.
In 1954, the railway line was extended to Mardan and Charsada, and in 1956 the
Jacobabad-Kashmore 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) gauge line was converted into broad gauge.
In 1961, the Pakistani portion of North Western Railways was renamed Pakistan
Railways. The Kot Adu-Kashmore line was constructed between 1969 and 1973
providing an alternative route from Karachi up the country.
Proposals
In 2007, contracts were let for studies into a link between Pakistan and China via the
border crossing near Kashgar. A line to the deepwater port of Gwadar is also
proposed.
Major Routes
The total length of railway tracks in Pakistan is 5,072 miles (8,162 km). The busiest
routes include:
Peshawar-Karachi
Peshawar-Quetta
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Lahore-Sialkot
Lahore-Faisalabad
Faisalabad-Khanewal
Major Stations and Junctions
The major stations and junctions between Peshawar and Karachi include:
Peshawar,Darya Khan,Mianwali,Bhakkar,Kaloorkot Nowshehra Jn., Attock city,
Karachi City. The major stations and junctions between Peshawar and Quetta are:
Peshawar to Rohri Jn. (same as above), Sukkur, Shikarpur, Jacobabad Jn., Dera
Murad Jamali, Sibi Jn., Ab-e-Gum, Mach Spezand Jn and Quetta
Passenger Traffic
Passenger traffic comprises 50% of the railway's total revenue. During 1999-2000,
this amounted to Rs. 4.8 billion. Pakistan Railways carries 65 million passengers
annually and daily operates 228 mail, express and passenger trains. The number of
passengers carried daily is thus about 178,000. Pakistan Railways also operates
special trains during occasions like congregations of the Dawat-e-Islami and the
Tableeghi Ijtima.
Freight Traffic
The Freight Business Unit, with 12,000 personnel, operates over 200 freight stations
on the railway network. The Unit serves two major ports of Karachi and Bin Qasim as
well as all four provinces of the country and generates revenue from the movement of
agricultural, industrial and imported products, Petroleum Oil & Lubricants (POL),
wheat, coal, fertilizer, rock phosphate, cement, container traffic and sugar. About 39%
of the revenue is generated from the transportation of POL products, 19% from
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imported wheat, fertilizer and rock phosphate. The remaining 42% is earned from
domestic traffic.
The Freight Business Unit offers services to meet customer requirements and reduce
costs through efficiency, innovation and modernization. All possible efforts are made
to increase revenues and pass on the benefits to customers. The Freight Business Unit
is headed by an additional General Manager.[
The Freight Rates structure is based on market trends, particularly of road transport,
which is the Railways' main competitor. The freight rates are no longer rigid but
flexible, depending on the lead, peak-off peak season, and quantum offered.[citation
needed]
Pakistan Locomotive Factory, Risalpur
Pakistan Railways Headquarters in Lahore, Pakistan. Pakistan Railways Headquarters
in Lahore, Pakistan. The Pakistan Locomotive Factory at Risalpur, a public spread on
an area of 251 acres, was put into service in 1993 with the collaboration of
Government of Japan at a total cost of Rs.2284.00 million, including a foreign
exchange component of Rs.1496.00 million. The factory can produce two diesel-
electric locomotives per month on single-shift basis, but this can be doubled by
introducing a second working shift. The factory is equipped with the state-of-the-art
equipment which can be employed in the building of diesel-electric locomotives of
suitable horsepower, as well as electric locomotives with minor adjustments.[2]
Since 1993, twenty three PHA-20 type 2,000 hp diesel-electric locomotives have
rolled out of the factory.[2] The ongoing project of 3,000 hp AGE-30 diesel-electric
locomotives is at the verge of its completion, which is a milestone in the history of the
factory.[2] Apart from manufacturing new locomotives, the Pakistan Locomotive
Factory has also successfully rehabilitated five diesel-electric locomotives of GRU-20
Type and manufactured other various spares/components for railway maintenance
divisions and rehabilitation projects.
The biggest problem for Pakistan Railways is the soaring budget deficit. Although
railways are traditionally not expected to earn profit. However, it is legitimate to
expect from railways to meet at least operational expenses. The reason for this loss
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the presence of unnecessary departments which are white elephant for Pakistan
Railways. The biggest among those is the Railways Police followed by Stores and
Purchase. These department should be abolished from Railways without further delay.
Their utility for railways is marginal at best. The Audit and Accounts, Railways
Workshops Division, and General Administration staff need drastic cuts. These
organizations are heavily overstaffed. If the policy makers has the stomach to make
tough choices and get rid of the white elephents and introduce necessary reforms, the
budget deficit of railways can be reduced to bare minimum. If they will continue to
ignore the presence of non-productive over staffed departments with very
insignificant contribution in overall performanc e of Pakistan Railways, the
department will continue to decline. It shall never be in a position to meet the
expectations of public.
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OPERATION MANAGEMENT
Pakistan Railway comprises 8,775 route km, 707 stations and 37 trains halts. It has a
fleet of 563 diesel electric locomotives, 25,815 wagons and 1,623 passenger coaches.
Maintenance is provided by three major locomotive workshops and thirty-five smaller
workshops. Signaling facilities at important stations are track circulated within
interlocking limits. Most routes have VHF radio coverage for communication
between train dispatchers and trains. Telephone Communication is over wire lines and
microwave.
ROUTE AND TRACK LENGTH:
GAUGE ROUTE KM TRACK KM
Broad Gauge 7,718 11,344
Metre Gauge 445 555
Narrow Gauge+ 611 726
TOTAL 8,774 12,625
RAILWAY ANNOUNCE NEW TIME TABLE
On Sunday, November 01, 2009
THE Pakistan Railways has introduced a new train between LahoreóMalakwal and
has restored the Subak Raftar between LahoreóRawalpindi in addition to limiting the
number of train stops at the Cantt railway stations for security reasons.
According to a press release on Saturday, the destination of the Sukhur Express has
been curtailed at Karachi City instead of going all the way to the Karachi Cantt.
Similarly the Shah Rukn-e-Alam Train has also been stopped at Karachi City instead
of Karachi Cantt. In another such measure, the Khyber Mail, Awami Express, Quetta
Express and Farid Express have all dispossessed of their stoppages at the Lahore
Cantt Station.
The new timetable will be enforced from November 1 (today). The PR has made
major changes in operations and routes of the trains, rerouting the Quetta Express
through KhanewalóLodharan instead of Multan. The timetable also governs the
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extension of the routes of Sakhi Abbas Passenger Train whose route has been
extended till Okara instead of Pattoki.
The Millat Express has also been given an extension in the route making it go till
Sargodha instead of ending its journey at Faisalabad. The Tezgamís stoppages at Kot
Lallo, Gujarat, Wazirabad and Chaklala have been eliminated.
The Bahawalpur express has lost its stop at Chutiana and the Hazara Express lost the
Kot Lallu stop.
However, new stops have been introduced including Bolan Mail’s stops at
Bakhtiarabad Domki and Dera Alayar; Tezroís stops at Shorkot Cantt, Landi and Drig
Road; the Hazara Expressís new stops at Kotri; Karachi Expressís stops at Kotlakhpat
Landhi; Millat Express at Drig Road; Shalimar Expressís stops at Kot Lakhpat Drig
Road and the Super Expressís stops at Liaqatpur and Phularwan.
The Sangla Shuttle service, which operated between Faisalabad and Sangla Hill, has
been cancelled besides the FaislabadóSargodha A-Shuttle service and B-Shuttle
service. The shuttle train between Lahore and Lalamusa has also been shut down.
The 101 up/ 102 down Islamabad Express has been renamed to Subak Raftar. The 109
up/ 110 down shuttle train has been renamed Margala Express. 06:30 and 04:45 time
has been provided during night and day time to start at least nine and six trains
respectively from the Karachi Port area.
According to the new schedule, the Khyber Mail will depart from Karachi at 2200 hrs
to reach Peshawar at 640 hrs. The Bolan Mail will leave Karachi city at 1700 to reach
Queatta at 1410. Tezro will leave Karachi cantt at 2100 hrs to reach Mardan at 0400
hrs. Tezgam will depart Karachi at 1700 hrs to reach Islamabad at 2015 hrs.
The Allama Iqbal Express will leave Karachi at 1450 hrs to reach Sialkot at 1540 hrs.
Hazara Express will depart Karachi at 535 hrs to reach Hwailiyan at 1330.
The Awami Express will depart from Karachi Cantt at 730 for Peshawar at 1720 hrs.
The Korakaram Express will leave Karachi Cantt at 1600 hrs to reach Lahore at 1015
hrs. The Subak Raftar will reach Rawalpindi 1230 after leaving Islamabad at 0730
hrs.
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Railways need 410 locomotives for daily operations:
Minister says automatic signalling system to be installed on Karachi-Lahore track by
mid-2010Staff Report
Railways Minister Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said the Pakistan Railways needed 410
locomotives for day-to-day operations, but had only managed to purchase 122
locomotives during the last 20 years.
Talking to reporters at his office, the minister said Railways was doing everything to
mitigate human errors in the future and implementing systems that would make a train
stop automatically, even if a driver ignored a red signal. He said an automatic
signalling system would be installed by mid-2010 on the Karachi-Lahore track.
The system would be imported from Sweden or Canada through a loan from the
Islamic Development Bank. The minister said successive governments had failed to
pay attention to improving the condition of Pakistan Railways and one of the key
reasons for the deteriorating stae of affairs of the department was the inconsistent
policies of successive governments. “Governments have invested more on developing
a road network and little importance has been given to the needs of the railways,”
Bilour said.
“We are even operating some 40-year-old locomotives,” he added. “We receive
complaints every day that a particular train broke down due to technical fault in a
locomotive.” Bilour said Pakistan exported locomotives to Bangladesh in 1992, but
now the country has been reduced to importing locomotives. The minister said rail
tracks were in dilapidated conditions at various places, adding that the government
was not investing in improving rail tracks, which resulted in longer travel times for
short journeys. Bilour, however, avoided questions regarding the operational losses
and corruption in the railways. He said all efforts were being made to improve the rail
cargo service. “We are opening our doors to the private sector and plans are underway
to outsource some operations.” Regarding the recent train accident in Karachi, the
minister said it was caused by human error
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TRAINS OF PAKISTAN RAILWAY –
An Introduction
1. Allama Iqbal Express (9 Up/10 Dn)
Named after the national poet of Pakistan, Mohammad Iqbal. The word 'Allama'
means 'scholar'. The train is so named because it has a Karachi-Sialkot route and
Sialkot is the birth place of Allama Iqbal.
Interestingly, for atleast 40 years, Allama Iqbal Express was called 'Shaheen
Express' (mid-1950s to mid-1990s). The word 'Shaheen' means 'Falcon' in Urdu and
Allama Iqbal in his poetry always referred to falcon as a creature with high moral
character (as it never eats a dead animal, lives high on the mountains, etc.). The
Shaheen Express also had a Karachi-Sialkot route via Faisalabad.
The Allama Iqbal express currently runs on the Karachi-Lahore-Sialkot route. Current
accommodation available on this train includes First Class Sleeper and Economy.
2. Awam Express (13 Up/14 Dn)
'Awam' means 'people' in Urdu, so this is the People's Express. It always had a
Karachi-Peshawar route, and now shares the honour of having the longest running
route (1721km) in Pakistan along with the historic Khyber Mail. PR's first three-tier
second class sleepers were introduced on the Awam Express. Many politicians have
used the Awam Express (fewer than have used the Khyber Mail, though) to run their
country-wide political campaigns. Accomodation available on this train is AC Lower
and Economy.
3. Badar Express (109 Up/110 Dn)
4. Ghauri Express (107 Up/108 Dn)
'Badar' means 'Moon' in Urdu. It runs Lahore - Faisalabad - Shorkot Cantt. Jn.
(249km) in the Up Direction and Faisalabad - Lahore (142km) in the Down Direction.
'Ghauri' Express is named after the first Muslim Ruler of India, Mohammad Ghauri,
and has the same route as the 'Badar Express'.
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Accomodation on both trains is AC Parlour, and First Class Sitter. Both of these trains
are unusual as each has different Up and Down routes (which are, however
complementary). The two trains share rakes.
This 'rake sharing' works as follows:
4:10 hrs: 108 Dn Ghauri Express starts its journey from Shorkot Cant Jn. It passes
through Faisalabad and continues towards Lahore.
7:50 hrs: 108 Dn Ghauri Express reaches Lahore.
9:15 hrs: 107 Up Ghauri Express starts its journey towards Faisalabd.
11:00 hrs: 107 Up Ghauri Express reaches Faisalabad and terminates there, even
though it had originated from Shorkot Cant Jn in the morning.
15:15 hrs: The rake of Ghauri Express now becomes the Badar Express and it starts
its journey towards Lahore as 110 Down.
17:00 hrs: 110 Down Badar Express reaches Lahore.
18:00 hrs: 109 Up Badar Express starts its journey towards Faisalabd. It does not
terminate at Faisalabad eventhough it had originated there, but continues towards
Shorkot Cant Jn.
21:40 hrs: 109 Up reaches Shorkot Cant Jn. The rake rests here overnight and the next
morning the whole cycle starts again.
5. Bahauddin Zakaria Express (25 Up/26 Dn)
This train has the 92km long Karachi City - Multan Cantt route.
Multan is one of the oldest living cities in Pakistan and a home to the shrines of many
saints and learned people. Bahauddin Zakaria (1182-1266) was one such saint who
lived in Multan. Since this train has Multan as one of its termini, it is named after him.
The accomodation on this train include AC Sleeper, First Class Sleeper and Economy.
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6. Badin Express (307 Up/308 Dn)
Badin is the largest city south-east of Karachi with a population of ~70,000. Badin
Express takes the Kotri Jn - Hyderabad Jn - Badin route and is the only train that
currently goes to Badin.
The Hyderabad - Badin track on which Badin Express plies was opened on Aug 15,
1904. The line was later dismantled during World War I as the rails were needed
elsewhere. In 1922 the track was rebuilt to its present alignment. An extension of this
line across or around the Rann of Kutch, to meet the Bombay Baroda and Central
India Railway and to afford through communication without break of gauge from
Sindh (Pakistan) to Bombay (India) was considered but never materialised.
Badin Express is currently an all Economy class train.
7. Bahawalpur Express (143 Up/144 Dn)
Named after Pakistan's 13th largest city, Bahawalpur, this train has a 487km run from
Samasata Jn to Sialkot Jn. The train originates from Samasata Jn instead of
Bahawalpur, probably because of better train handling facilities at Samasata Jn.
The train route is Samasata Jn - Bahawalpur - Khanewal Jn (via Chord) - Faisalabad -
Wazirabad Jn - Sialkot Jn.
Accomodation on this train includes 1st class Sitter and Economy.
8. Baluchistan Express (31 Up/32 Dn)
This train is currently the fastest rail link between Karachi and Quetta. It takes the
Karachi - Sukkur - Quetta (850km) route and it currently takes 16 hours and 5
minutes to cover this distance.
The Karachi - Quetta distance via Sukkur is 14km shorter than via Larkana. Bolan
Mail takes the latter route.
Baluchistan is the name of Pakistan's largest province by area. Accomodation
available on Baluchistan Express includes AC Sleeper, AC Lower annd Economy.
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9. Bolan Mail (3 Up/4 Dn)
Named after the famous 'Bolan Pass' in Baluchistan province, this train is one of the
most historic trains on the PR network. It connects Karachi with Quetta via Larkana
(857Km).
Currently it is not the fastest linking between Karachi and Quetta as it takes more than
20 hours to cover this distance. The reason for its low speed is the bad track quality
between Kotri Jn and Habib Kot Jn via Dadu/Larkana Jn.
Bolan Pass itself is 60 miles (100km) long and has a maximum altitude of 5,880 ft
(1,792 m). The pass is strategically located and many traders, invaders, and nomadic
tribes coming from western and central Asia used it as a gateway to India.
Accomodation available on Bolan Mail includes AC Sleeper, First Class Sleeper and
Economy.
10. Chenab Express (11 Up/12 Dn)
The Chenab Express is named after River Chenab. Chenab is one of the five famous
rivers of the Punjab (literally, '5 waters') province. The Chenab is also associated with
the folk stories of Sohni-Mahinwal and Heer-Ranjha.
The Chenab Express, when inaugurated, had the route of Karachi - Faisalabad -
Sargodha - Attock City - Peshawar. Later the route changed to Karachi - Faisalabad -
Lala Musa - Rawalpindi - Peshawar, and these days it runs Karachi - Faisalabad -
Rawalpindi.
This train is known for other 'experiments' carried out on its route. To reduce the
burden on Karachi City and Karachi Cant stations and to utilize the fast decaying
'Karachi Circular Railway' track, Chenab express once orginated from a Karachi
suburban station, Manghopir. The empty rake of the train was brought to Manghopir
from Karachi City daily as there is no washing line or maintenance facility at
Manghopir, and then the rake was sent up-country via the KCR route.
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11. Chiltan Express (21 Up/22 Dn)
'Chiltan' is the name of one of the three large craggy mountains that surround Quetta
valley, the other two being 'Zarghun' and 'Koh-I-Murdar'. Since Chiltan Express has
Quetta as one of its termini, it is named after one of the region's prominent geological
landmarks.
This train used to have a Quetta-Lahore route via Dera Ghazi Khan and Kot Adu Jn.
This route opened in 1973, hence the Chiltan Express likely started operations on or
after that year.
Over the years the route of the Chiltan Express has been varied many times by
running it between Quetta and Peshawar via Faisalabad, between Quetta and
Rawalpindi via Lahore, and these days between Quetta and Lahore via Faisalabad.
12. Dachi Express (221 Up/222 Dn)
The word 'Dachi' in Punjabi language means 'camel'. Why this train is called a Camel
Express is not clear to me. It used to be one of the premier trains and one of the fastest
between Lahore and Faisalabad covering 142km in three hours. Since the late 1990s
the Lahore-Faisalabad distance is now being covered in about 1 hour 50 minutes by
quite a few non-stop trains and the Dachi Express has lost its importance. It is now a
slow passenger with 19 stops on its Lahore-Faisalabad route and 14 stops on its
Faisalabad-Lahore route. On the Lahore-Faisalabad Up route it is classified as an
Express and on the Faisalabad-Lahore Down route it is classified as a Passenger. This
train has been mentioned in the famous Urdu writer Ibn-e-Insha's book 'Urdu ki aakhri
kitab' ('The last book of Urdu') where while describing a camel Ibn-e-Insha says that
the camel was also called a 'Dachi' but that these days railway men have put wheels
under it and made it an express. That book was first published in 1971 which means
the Dachi Express has been running at least since 1971. I don't know its exact date of
inauguration.
13. Faisal Express (111 Up/112 Dn)
Faisal Express is one of nine daily trains that run between Lahore and Faisalabad. It is
also one of the fastest trains on this route, covering the 142km distance in 105 minutes
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in the Up direction and 110 minutes in the Down direction. Inaugurated in 2001, it is
also a relatively new train on this route.
14. Faisalabad Express (35 Up/36 Dn)
Faisalabad Express is currently the fastest train running between Karachi and
Faisalabad. It covers the 1095km distance between Karachi and Faisalabad in 15
hours 35 minutes in the Up direction and 15 hours 45 minutes in the Down sirection.
It started in the late 1990s as a non-stop train between Karachi and Faisalabad with
only operational stops at Rohri Jn and Khanewal Jn, but now it has five and seven
stops in between on the Up and Down journeys respectively. The accommodation
available on this train includes AC lower and Economy.
15. Fareed Express (37 Up/38 Dn)
Baba Freed Shakar Ganj (1173-1266 AD) was a saint who lived and preached in the
area east of Multan-Lahore axis. After his demise Baba Fareed was buried in the town
of Pakpattan. Since Fareed Express has a parallel route east of Multan-Lahore main
line and since it also serves Pakpattan city, the train has been named 'Fareed
ExpressÂ'.
Fareed Express started its operation in 1996. It has a 1248km long route between
Karachi City and Lahore via Pakpattan. From Karachi to Lodhran Jn it runs on
mainline, then diverts east on a branch line towards Vihari. It passes through towns of
Mailsi, Arif wala, Pakpattan, Kasur Jn and joins the mainline again at Raiwind Jn to
continue its journey towards Lahore. Fareed Express is presently one of the slowest
trains on the PR network covering 1248km in 23 hours and 30 minutes in the Up
direction and 23 hours and 15 minutes in the Down direction. It currently has 33 stops
between Karachi and Lahore. The accommodation available on Fareed Express
includes First Class Sitter, Economy and 2nd Class.
16. FAST (325 Up/326 Down)
The name 'FASTÂ' is probably a misnomer on this not-so-fast train. It has a 142km
Lahore-Faisalabad route with 17 stops in between and covers this distance in 3 hours
and 15 minutes in Up direction and 3 hours and 50 minutes in Down direction. For
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comparison, the Fastest train on this route presently covers this distance in 1 hour 45
minutes.
17. Islamabad Non Stop (147 Up)
Currently the fastest train on Lahore-Rawalpindi route. It covers 289km in 3 hours
and 30 minutes. It started its operation on Aug 1, 2004 covering Lahore-Rawalpindi
distance in 3 hours and 45 minutes and from Sept 8, 2004, fifteen more minutes have
been reduced from its travel time. Its rake consists of Chinese coaches.
18. Lahore Non-Stop (148 Dn)
The same rake that travels in the morning as 147 Up Islamabad Non Stop comes back
to Lahore in the evening as 148 Down Lahore Non Stop. Travel time remains same at
3 hours and 30 minutes in either direction.
19. Jaffar Express (39 Up/40 Down)
Jaffar Express is named after Mr. Jaffar Khan Jamali who was one of the prominent
Baloch leaders of the Pakistan movement. He was among the first few Baloch leaders
who whole-heartedly supported Mr. Mohammad Ali Jinnah in the Pakistan
movement. Mr. Jaffar Khan Jamali was also the uncle of ex-Prime Minister of
Pakistan, Mr. Zafarullah Khan Jamali.
Jaffar Express started its operation on May 13, 2004 (when Mr. Zafarullah Khan
Jamali was the Prime Minister of Pakistan) and it was the second train on PR network
with its full rake consisting of Chinese coaches. Here is a photo of its inaugural
DOWN run from Rawalpindi station.
Currently Jaffar Express has a 1494km route between Quetta and Rawalpindi via
Sukkur and Lahore. It covers this distance in 27 hours 20 minutes in the Up direction
and in an even 27 hours in the Down direction. It has 18 stops between Quetta and
Rawalpindi.
The rake of Jaffar Express consists of three lower AC coaches and four economy class
coaches with head end generation. Each lower AC coach has a capacity of 54 berths
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and nine seats and each economy class coach has a capacity of 51 births and nine
seats.
20. Karachi Express (15 Up/16 Down)
Karachi Express is one of the oldest and most prestigious trains on PR network. As is
obvious, it is named after Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan and also the former
capital city. Karachi Express started its operation in the late 1940s with a Karachi City
to Peshawar Cantt route. The route was later shortened to Karachi-Lahore. Over the
years it lost its earlier prestige and became a regular express train with more than 20
stops at one point in time between Karachi and Lahore. In 2000 the train regained
some of its lost glory, as it was upgraded to a 16-hour non-stop service between
Karachi and Lahore (with one technical stop at Khanpur Jn). In the year 2001-02
Hyderabad Jn, Rohri Jn and Khanewal Jn were added to its stops. Currently it has one
more stop added to its route at Sahiwal. It now covers Karachi Cant to Lahore
1214km distance in 16 hours 30 minutes in the Up direction and in 16 hours 45
minutes in the Down direction.
21. Karakoram Express (41 Up/42 Down)
Named after the lofty peaks of Karakoram Mountains, it was the first train to run on
PR network that consisted completely of Chinese-made coaches. Since Karakoram
Mountains form the common border between Pakistan and China, the train is
accordingly named to highlight the Pak-China friendship.
It is currently the fastest train running between Karachi and Lahore and covers the
1214km distance in 16 hours in either direction.
Here is a photo of the Karakoram Express seen in Lahore suburbs.
22. Khushhal Khan Khattak Express (19Up/20 Down)
This train is named after arguably the most famous poet and a famous chieftain of
North West Frontier Province (NWFP), Khushhal Khan Khattak. Khushhal Khan was
born near Peshawar in 1613. By appointment of the Mughal emperor, Shah Jehan, he
became the chieftain of the Khattak tribe in 1641, but Aurangzeb, Shah Jehan's
successor, because of some misgivings removed Khushhal Khan from his hereditary
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position, and kept him a prisoner in the Gwalior fortress in Delhi. After Khushhal was
permitted to return to Peshawar he incited the Pashtuns to rebel against the Mughals.
His grave carries the inscription: 'I have taken up the sword to defend the pride of the
Pashtun, I am Khushhal Khattak, the honorable man of the age.' Khushhal Khan
Khattak was a learned man, having scores of books or manuscripts to his credit. There
was hardly any discipline that he did not delved into. Religion, philosophy,
mysticism, lexicography, medicine, hunting and falconry, war and aesthetics -- all
came under his scrutiny. The Khattak tribe of Khushhal Khan now lives in the areas
of Kohat, Peshawar, and Mardan.
Since 19Up/20 Dn Khushhal Khan Khattak Express has a Karachi to Peshawar route,
it is named after this great poet of the NWFP.
At 19 letters, this train also has the longest name among all the trains running on PR
Network.
The accommodation available on this train includes First, Economy and Second
Classes.
Khushhal Khan Khattak Express takes a route between Karachi City and Peshawar
Cant which mostly runs on the West Bank of River Indus. It travels on mainline
between Karachi to Kotri Jn and then takes a branch line via Larkana Jn to Habibkot
Jn. From Habibkot Jn it follows mainline to Jacobabad Jn. From Jac¡¥obabad Jn it
takes another branch line route via Kashmore, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Adu
Jn, Kundian Jn, Mianwali, Jand Jn, Basal Jn to Attock City Jn. From Attock City Jn to
Peshawar Cant it follows the mainline again.
As of summer 2004, Khushhal Khan Khattak Express has 1512km run between
Karachi City and Peshawar Cant which it covers in 36 hours 40 minutes in the Up
direction and 36 hours 45 minutes in the Down direction. It also has 59 stops between
its termini. This makes it the slowest running express between Karachi and Peshawar.
23. Khyber Mail (1 Up/2 Down)
Khyber Mail is Pakistans oldest and the most prestigious train. It is named after the
famous Khyber Pass which is located in the 'North West Frontier Province' (NWFP)
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of Pakistan. Khyber Pass has historically connected Central Asia with the Indian
Subcontinent. Today it connects Afghanistan with Pakistan. Khyber Mail's name has a
'mail' suffix because historically this train used to distribute local postal mail along its
route. From my childhood I remembera red-colored postal mail full of mail sacks
attached to the Khyber Mail. I believe that postal mail is not attached to Khyber Mail
any more but the train still keeps its name as a mail train.
Khyber Mail is also the train that has been most written about in railway literature
about Pakistan. Paul Theroux for one has traveled and written about Khyber Mail in
most of his rail travel books.
Before Independence, Khyber Mail had an ancestor, the 'Frontier Mail' which ran on
Bombay Central (India) -- Peshawar route. After 1947, on the Indian side, 'Frontier
Mail' continued its operation on a curtailed Bombay Central -- Amritsar route while
on the Pakistan side it was renamed as 'Khyber Mail' with a Karachi to Peshawar
route.
An even earlier account of a predecessor of both Frontier Mail and Khyber Mail
comes from Mr. Hal Waters' and Mr. S. Shankar's web page on NWR. It is from 1909
and calls for a 'Peshawar Mail' sighting near river Jhelum. I have not been able to
confirm whether this 'Peshawar Mail' was the same as 'Frontier Mail' or a different
train.
At present Khyber Mail has the longest running route in Pakistan, which is 1721km. It
currently shares this honor with 13Up/14Dn Awam (People) Express. Khyber Mail is
however, the fastest train link between Karachi and Peshawar.
As of summer 2004, Khyber Mail covers 1721km distance between Karachi Cant and
Peshawar Cant in 31 hours 55 minutes in the Up direction, and 32 hours 5 minutes in
the Down direction. It stops at 45 stations between Karachi Cant and Peshawar Cant.
I have a PR time table of 1959. Interestingly, forty-five years ago Khyber Mail had
only 24 stops between Karachi City and Peshawar Cant. And amazingly enough it
covered this distance with steam locomotives in 32 hours 25 minutes which is only 20
minutes slower than that of 2004. Should we conclude that not much has changed
speed wise for Khyber Mail in half-a-century? A clue to this stagnancy in rail
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modernization comes from Paul Theroux book 'The Imperial Way -- by Rail from
Peshawar to Chittagong' where while traveling by Khyber Mail he writes (pp 9-10):
I had returned (to Pakistan) to take this long trip (Peshawar-Lahore via Khyber Mail)
to see what had changed. I had noticed very few changes¡K. The railway is one of
the most traditional of institutions and, for better or worse, it runs in Pakistan pretty
much the same way as it always ran. The odd thing is that throughout the Sub-
continent the railway seems so profoundly part of the culture that it hardly seems
related to the industrial age but instead seems as ancient as India itself. The roads and
airports come and go, but nothing seems as indestructible as the railway.
The accommodation on Khyber Mail has historically been the best. I do remember
that up until the early 1980s Khyber Mail had a 'buffet' Dining Car attached to it.
Dining Car is still attached to the train but it is not the buffet style anymore and food
is now served at the passenger seats. From his 1975 trip to Pakistan and while
traveling by First Class Sleeper of Khyber Mail, Paul Theroux has written in his book
'The Great Railway Bazaar' (pp 81):
It had not taken long to find my compartment (on Khyber Mail). My name was on the
door, printed large on a label! I had every thing I needed. The compartment was large,
well-lighted, and comfortable, with a toilet and sink in an adjoining room; I had a
drop-leaf table, well up-holstered seat, mirror, ashtray, chrome gin-bottle holder, the
works.
The current accommodation available on Khyber Mail includes AC Sleeper, First and
Economy Class.
24. Lala Musa Express (137 Up/138 Down)
This train is named after the city of Lala Musa which is an important junction on PR's
main line. Lala Musa Express has a 147km long route between Lala Musa Jn --
Sargodha Jn. As of summer 2004, it covered this distance in 3 hours 40 minutes in the
Up direction and in 3 hours and 30 minutes in the Down direction. It stops at 17
stations between Lala Musa and Sargodha. The only accommodation available on this
train is Economy Class. The rake of Lala Musa Express is shared by Malakwal
Express too, which is introduced below.
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25. Malakwal Express (135 Up/136 Down)
Malakwal Express is named after the city of Malakwal which was once a very
important junction and steam loco bastion in Western Punjab. Malakwal Express has
exactly the same route as of Lala Musa Express which was introduced above. Since
Malakwal Express shares its rake with Lala Musa Express so it also only one
accommodation available i.e. Economy Class. It covers its 147km long route in 3
hours 40 minutes in up direction and 3 hours 45 minutes in down direction. It has 18
stops in up direction and 16 stops in down direction between its termini at Lala Musa
Jn and Sargodha Jn.
The single rake sharing between Malakwal Express and Lala Musa Express takes
place according to the following time table:
135 Up Malakwal Express Sargodha Jn dep 0500135 Up Malakwal Express Lala Musa Jn arr 0840138 Dn Lala Musa Express Lala Musa Jn dep 1035138 Dn Lala Musa Express Sargodha Jn arr 1405137 Up Lala Musa Express Sargodha Jn dep 1515137 Up Lala Musa Express Lala Musa Jn,arr 1855136 Dn Malakwal Express Lala Musa Jn dep 1945136 Dn Malakwal Express Sargodha Jn arr 2330
The rake is washed and rested at Sargodha Jn overnight.
26. Lasani Express (125 Up/126 Down)
The word 'Lasani' in Urdu language means 'one of its kind'. This 'one of its kind'
express runs between Lahore Jn and Sialkot Jn via Narowal Jn. It has a 148km route,
which it covers in 3 hours 45 minutes in both directions. It has 13 stops between
Lahore and Sialkot and the only accommodation available on this train is Economy
Class. This train provides a convenient day trip to Lahore to the business community
of Sialkot. It has an early morning run from Sialkot to Lahore and a late afternoon run
back to Sialkot.
27. Mari Indus Express (329 Up /330 Down)
Mari Indus Express is named after the town of Mari Indus. It is also one of the oldest
branch line trains on PR Network. It has been running on Lahore -- Mari Indus route
since the 1950s. At that time it was called Mari Indus Passenger and was later
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upgraded to an express. It has a 429km route in either direction with a peculiar detour.
After reaching Chak Jhumra Jn on its up journey, it instead of turning towards Mari
Indus, takes a 19km detour to Faisalabad. It has a 30-minute stop in Faisalabad before
it comes back to Chak Jhumra Jn and then continues towards Mari Indus. The same
sequence is repeated on itÂ's down journey too.
As of the summer 2004 time table, Mari Indus express covers Lahore to Mari Indus
distance in 12 hours 35 minutes in up direction and 12 hours and 30 minutes in down
direction. This time also includes its 38-km and 75-minute detour to Faisalabad.
It has 34 stops between Lahore and Mari Indus, which also includes stopping twice at
Chak Jhumra Jn in its either way journey.
Accommodation available on Mari Indus express includes Economy and 2nd Class.
28. Mehr Expess (127 Up/128 Down)
Mehr Express is named after the 'MehrÂ' clan of PakistanÂ's Seraiki belt. Since this
train has most of its route spread across Seraiki area of Pakistan, it is named after the
Seraiki speaking Mehr tribe.
Mehr Express has a 572km long route between Multan and Rawalpindi via Kot Adu
Jn, Kundian Jn and Golra Sharif Jn.
As of summer 2004, Mehr express covers this distance in 14 hours 55 minutes in the
Up direction and 14 hours 20 minutes in the Down direction. It stops at 35 stations
between Multan and Rawalpindi.
29. Musa Pak Express (115 Up/116 Down)
Musa Pak Express is named after a famous saint called Sheikh Abul Hassab Musa Pak
who is now buried in Multan City. Musa Pak express has a 335km route between
Multan Cant and Lahore. One peculiar aspect of this train is the difference in number
of stops it has in up and down direction. In up direction, it covers 335km in 280
minutes with only 3 stops in between the termini. In down direction it covers the same
distance in 345 minutes with 13 stops.
30. Narowal Express (209 Up/210 Down)
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As the name implies, Narowal Express is named after the city of Narowal. It has an
86km route between Lahore Jn and Narowal Jn. Just like Musa Pak Express, Narowal
Express also has a huge difference in its up and down travel times and number of
stops.
In the Up direction it covers its 86km route in 100 minutes with 4 stops. In the Down
direction it covers the same distance in 130 minutes with 11 stops between its termini.
31. Night Coach (105 Up/106 Dn)
Night coach is named such because of its late night timings in either direction. It is
currently the second fastest train running between Lahore and Rawalpindi. It covers
its 289km route in 260 minutes with 2 stops in up direction and in the same time with
1 stop in down direction. In comparison, the fastest trains on this route (Islamabad and
Lahore Nonstops) cover the same distance in 210 minutes.
32. Pakpattan Express (117 Up/118 Down)
This train is named after a city in Punjab province called Pakpattan and has Samasata
to Lahore route via Pakpattan. Its route length is 438km, which it covers in 11 hours
50 minutes in the Up direction and 12 hours and 20 minutes in the Down direction. It
has 40 stops between its termini, which include Bahwalpur, Lodhran Jn, Mailsi,
Vihari, Pakpattan, Kasur Jn, Raiwind Jn etc.
Accommodations available on Pakpattan Express are first class, economy and second
class.
33. Qalandar Express (165 Up/166 Down)
Qalandar Express is named after a famous saint of Sindh named Lal Shahbaz
Qalandar (1177-1274 A.D). Shahbaz Qalandar's tomb, built in 1356, is located in the
town of Sehwan Sharif. The saint was called 'Lal' because of his red attire, Shahbaz
means falcon, and denotes his free spirit and Qalandar is for the Sufi sect called
Qalandria that he belonged to. The word 'QalandarÂ' itself means a person who
knows oneÂ's inner being or has knowledge of oneÂ's inner spirit.
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Qalandar Express has Sehwan Sharif as one of its stops, and it is thus named after the
saint of Sehwan. It has a 284km route between Kotri Jn and Larkana Jn with 25 stops
in between. As of summer 2004, Qalandar Express covered this distance in 7 hours 10
minutes in the Up direction and in 8 hours and 15 minutes in the Down direction.
Some of the main towns that fall on Qalandar ExpressÂ' route include Sann, Sehwan
Sharif, Bhan Sayadabad, Dadu and Moen-jo-daro (famous for the largest excavated
ruins of the 5000-year-old Indus Valley civilization).
34. Quetta Express (23 Up/24 Down)
Quetta Express is named after the city of Quetta, which is also the provincial capital
of Baluchistan. Quetta Express is the only train on PR network, which runs through
all the four provinces of Pakistan. It has a 1631km route with 40 stops between its
termini of Quetta and Peshawar. It covers its route in 34 hours in the Up direction and
in 32 hours 20 minutes in the Down direction.
Accommodations available on Quetta Express are AC Sleeper, First and Economy.
35. Rachna Express (113 Up/114 Down)
In ancient times, the land that lies between two Punjab rivers, viz., River Ravi and
River Chenab was called Rachna Doab. The word doab literally means 'two watersÂ'.
Since this train has a route between river Ravi and river Chenab in Rachna Doab area,
it is named the Rachna Express.
Rachna Express is one of six trains that currently have a Lahore-Faisalabad route. The
route length is 142km and it covers this distance in 175 minutes in the Up direction
and in 170 minutes in the Down direction. It has 10 stops between Lahore and
Faisalabad.
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36. Ravi Express (121 Up/122 Down)
Ravi Express is named after river Ravi, which is one of the five rivers of Punjab. This
train has a Lahore to Shorkot route, which runs almost parallel to the west bank of
river Ravi.
The route length is 261km and Ravi Express covers this distance in 6 hours in the Up
direction and in 6 hours 5 minutes in the Down direction. The train has 14 stops on its
route.
Some of the important towns on Ravi ExpressÂ' route are Sheikhupura (named after
Emperor AkbarÂ's son Sheikho), Warburton, Nankana Sahab (a holy city for the Sikh
religion), Jaranwala, Tandlianwala, and Kamalia.
Accommodations available on Ravi Express are Economy and Second.
37. Rohi Express (131 Up/132 Down)
The word 'RohiÂ' means 'desertÂ' in Seraiki language. The Seraiki belt of Pakistan is
famous for two deserts, viz., 'Thal' and 'Cholistan' deserts. Because of extensive
irrigation schemes over the years, the Thal desert is now mostly an agriculture land.
The Cholistan desert however, still extends from east of Bahawalpur to the Indian
border.
Since Rohi express has 'Khanpur JnÂ', as one of its terminus and since Khanpur lies
in the heart of Seraiki speaking area, therefore the train is named as 'RohiÂ' or
'DesertÂ' express.
Rohi Express has Khanpur to Rawalpindi route via Shorkot, Jhang, Sargodha and Lala
Musa.
The length of Rohi ExpressÂ' route is 774km. It covers this distance in 17 hours 50
minutes with 38 stops between its termini.
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38. Rohri Express (167 Up/168 Down)
Rohri express is named after the city of Rohri. It has a 218km route between Sukkur
and Khanpur via Rohri Jn. It covers this distance in 4 hours in the Up direction and 4
hours 5 minutes in the Down direction. It has 10 stops between its termini.
39. Sandal Express (139 Up/140 Down)
Sandal Express is named after the 'SandalÂ' clan, which has most of its people living
in the Seraiki speaking area in and around Multan. Since this train has Multan to
Sargodha route, it is named after the local Sandal clan of Multan. Sandal Express runs
on its route via Khanewal, Shorkot and Jhang. The route length is 279km, which it
covers in 6 hours 35 minutes in the Up direction and in 6 hours 25 minutes in the
Down direction. It has 21 stops between its termini.
40. Sargodha Express (123 Up/124 Down)
Sargodha Express is named after the city of Sargodha. It runs from Lahore to
Sargodha. The route length is 215km, which it covers in 4 hours 15 minutes in the Up
direction and in 4 hours 10 minutes in the Down direction. It has 15 stops between its
termini.
41. Shah Latif Express (151 Up/152 Down)
Shah Latif Express is named after Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai who is considered as the
greatest poet of Sindhi language. Shah Abdul Latif lived in Sindh during the
seventeenth century. Shah's poetry is unique as it expresses the harmony between
what he saw outside with his naked eyes and what he observed within by his inner
eyes.
Shah Latif Express runs between Karachi city and Mirpur Khas. It has a 246km long
route, which it covers in 4 hours 55 minutes in the Up direction and in 4 hours 40
minutes in the Down direction. It has 11 stops between Karachi City and Mirpur
Khas.
Accommodation available on Shah Latif Express is Economy and Second class.
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42. Shah Rukne Alam Express (29 Up/30 Down)
Shah Rukn-e-Alam express is named after a saint who lived in Multan. SaintÂ's real
name was Sheikh Rukn-ud-Din Abul Fateh, but he was commonly knows as Rukn-e-
Alam. The word Rukn-e-Alam means 'Pillar of the WorldÂ'. His shrine in Multan is
one of the landmarks of Multan City and has won quite a few architectural awards
too.
Shah Rukn-e-Alam Express is a day train between Karachi and Multan. The train has
a 921km long route, which it covers in 14 hours 45 minutes in the Up direction and in
14 hours 55 minutes in the Down direction. It has 18 stops between Karachi Cantt and
Multan Cantt.
The accommodation available on Shah Rukn-e-Alam Express is AC Parlor, AC
Lower and Economy Class.
43. Shahbaz Passenger (309 Up/310 Down)
Shahbaz Passenger is named after a famous saint of Sindh named 'Lal Shahbaz
QalandarÂ' (1177-1274 A.D). Shahbaz Qalandar's tomb, built in 1356, is located in
the town of Sehwan Sharif. The saint was called 'Lal' because of his red attire, the
word Shahbaz means falcon, which is a bird native to Sindh and denotes his free spirit
and Qalandar is for the Sufi sect called Qalandria that he belonged to. There is another
train called 'Qalandar ExpressÂ' named after Lal Shahbaz Qalandar.
Shahbaz Passenger has a 380km route between Kotri Jn and Rohri Jn via Sehwan
Sharif (resting place of Lal Shabaz Qalandar), Dadu, Larkana Jn and Sukkur. As of
summer 2004, Shahbaz Passenger covered its route in 12 hours 30 minutes with 39
stops between its termini.
Accommodation available on Shahbaz Passenger includes Economy and Second
class.
44. Shalimar Express (27 Up/28 Down)
Shalimar Express is named after the famous Shalimar gardens located in
Baghbanpura, Lahore. Shalimar gardens were laid out during the time of Mughal
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Emperor Shah Jahan in 1642 for the pleasure of Royal household. Shalimar gardens
conform to the classic Mughal conception of a perfect garden and consist of three
terraces of straight, shaded walk sets around a perfectly symmetrical arrangement of
ponds, waterfalls, marble pavilions, all surrounded by flower beds and fruit trees and
enclosed within a wall and more than 400 fountains.
Shalimar Express was inaugurated in 1979 as the fastest train on PR network. At the
time of its inauguration, it covered Karachi-Lahore distance in 16 hours. It started as a
day-train with 6 a.m. departure and 10 p.m. arrival in either direction. Two locos used
to pull it and it was an all AC-parlor train. It had only two technical stops of 20
minutes duration at Rohri Jn and Khanewal Jn all during its 1210km route. Later on
economy class was added to it and its stoppages got increased. At one point its
timings got changed to an overnight train and Multan was added to its stops. Earlier it
used to bypass Multan. These days it is back as a day train between Karachi and
Lahore and runs via chord bypassing Multan again.
It is not the fastest train on Karachi-Lahore route anymore. Its current route length is
1210km, which it covers in 17 hours 15 minutes with 10 stops between its termini.
45. Subuk Khram Express (103 Up/104 Down)
The word 'subuk khramÂ' means 'a person (or a train in our case) with a fast and
delicate style of walkingÂ'. Subuk Khram express was traditionally a rail car. As the
rail car units grew older and number of coaches in the train started increasing, Subuk
khram was converted to an express with a separate diesel loco pulling the rake.
Subuk Khram Express has a 289km route between Lahore and Rawalpindi and as of
summer 2004, it covers this distance in 4 hours 30 minutes with 5 stops between its
termini.
Accommodation available on Subuk Khram express includes AC Parlor and
Economy.
46. Subuk Raftar Express (101 Up/102 Down)
The word 'subuk raftarÂ' means 'a person (or a train in our case) which runs with a
fast and speedÂ'. Just like Subuk khram Express, which was introduced above, Subuk
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Raftar express was also a rail car. Both of these rail cars were introduced on Lahore-
Rawalpindi route as a morning and an evening service. As the rail car units grew older
and the number of coaches in the train started increasing, Subuk Raftar was converted
to an express with a separate diesel loco pulling the rake.
Subuk Khram Express has a 289km route between Lahore and Rawalpindi and as of
summer 2004, it covers this distance in 4 hours 30 minutes with 6 stops between its
termini in the Up direction and in 4 hours 35 minutes with 5 stops in the Down
direction.
Accommodation available on Subuk Khram express includes AC Parlor, AC lower
and Economy.
47. Sukkur Express (145 Up/146 Down)
Sukkur Express is named after the city of Sukkur. When first started, it used to have
an overnight run between Karachi and Sukkur. It still has an overnight run, but
extended to Jacobabad Jn.
Its current route length is 555km, which it covers in 11 hours 5 minutes in the Up
direction and in 11 hours 10 minutes in the Down direction. It has 18 stops between
Karachi Cant and Jacobabad Jn including a 30 minutes stop at Sukkur.
Accommodation available on Sukkur Express includes AC Sleeper, First Class and
Economy.
48. Super Express (33 Up/34 Down)
This train was inaugurated as the fastest train link between Karachi and Lahore in the
70s. Hence the name 'SuperÂ' express. However, in 1979 the title of fastest train was
taken over by Shalimar Express and super express became just another train.
Super Express has a unique history of rake splitting too. After its inauguration as a
Karachi-Lahore train, public demand soon grew for a fast train link between Karachi
and Faisalabad also. Extra coaches were added to Super Express and on its up
journey, the rake used to split at Khanewal Jn with some coaches continuing on to
Lahore while the rest went to Sargodha Jn via Faisalabad. On its down journey both
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rakes used to meet at Khanewal Jn and coupled together for journey towards Karachi.
This arrangement of rake splitting worked fine for up journey but not so efficiently for
the down journey. On down journey the rake from Sargodha Jn had to travel 277km
and the rake from Lahore had to travel 286km before they colud be coupled together
at Khanewal Jn. Both of these routes were on single track and many a times the split
rakes got late while their other halves had to wait a long time at Khanewal Jn.
Sometimes one of the rakes got so late that they were sent to Karachi as two separate
trains.
As the number of trains running between Karachi and Lahore grew, Super Express
was changed to a total Karachi-Sargodha Jn train with no rake splitting. It continues
as such to date, but it has lost its prestige and fame as a really fast super express. It
now has 34 stoppages between its termini.
Super Express currently has a 1256km route between Karachi and Sargodha via
Faisalabad. As of summer 2004, it covered this distance in 22 hours 25 minutes in the
Up direction and in 22 hours 50 minutes in the Down direction
Accommodation available on Super Express includes First Class and Economy.
49. Tezgam (7 Up/8 Down)
The word 'TezgamÂ' means a 'fast runnerÂ'. Tezgam was inaugurated in 1950s as a
Karachi-Peshawar train. Later its route was reduced to Karachi-Rawalpindi. Just like
Khyber Mail and Karachi Express, Tezgam is also one of the earliest and more
prestigious of the trains on PR network.
Since its inception, it always has been the fastest train link between Karachi and
Rawalpindi. TezgamÂ's route length is 1542km, which it covers in 25 hours and 5
minutes in the Up direction and in 25 hours 55 minutes in the Down direction.
Tezgam currently has 26 stops between its termini.
Accommodation available on Tezgam includes AC Sleeper, AC lower, First Class and
Economy.
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50. Tezrau (5 Up/6 Down)
The word 'TezrauÂ' means 'fast waveÂ'. It started as a Karachi-Lahore-Peshawar train
but over the years its route and its name has been experimented a lot. At one point in
PakistanÂ's political history, TezrauÂ's name got changed to 'Zulfiqar ExpressÂ'
named after Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who was an ex Prime Minister of Pakistan. Its route
between Kotri and Rohri was also changed from Mainline to a branch via Larkana Jn.
Larkana was the home city of Zulhiqar Ali Bhutto. Later on when railway was trying
to make best use Karachi Circular RailwayÂ's dilapidating infrastructure, TezrauÂ's
terminal was moved to Gilani station. After that at some point in time, TezrauÂ's
route was made Karachi to Havelian. These days Tezrau is running between Drigh
Road Jn and Rawalpindi.
Its current route length is 1489km which it covers in 29 hours 20 minutes in the Up
direction and in 28 hours 55 minutes in the Down direction. It has 51 stops between
its termini.
Accommodation available on Tezrau includes First Class and Economy.
51. Thal Express (129 Up/130 Down)
Thal Express is named after the plains and desert of Thal, which extends west of
Multan deep into South-West Punjab. Since this trainÂ's route is through Thal it is
named after it.
Thal express has a 595km route between Multan and Rawalpindi via Kundian and
Attock. It has similar route as Mehr Express except from Basal Jn, Thal Express
detours to Attock and then comes back to Rawalpindi via mainline. It has 39 stops
between its termini.
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FINANCIAL CONDITION OF PAKISTAN RAILWAYS.
Railway Pakistan owns a total of 167,690 acres and its estimated value as per a study
carried out by financial experts during 2002-2003 is Rs246 billion.
Pakistan Railways debt piles up to Rs56bn
Pakistan Railways is continuously facing economic losses despite the injection of
subsidy worth billions of rupees to make it a profitable public sector organization over
the last two years. The National Assembly was told on Thursday that during 2007-
2008 it suffered a loss of Rs12.66 billion which increased to Rs18.609 billion in
2008-2009.
According to figures placed before the lower house of the parliament, the government
had provided a subsidy of Rs7.30 billion to Pakistan Railways in 2007-2008 and
Rs9.034 billion during 2008-2009. However, losses showed the subsidy had little
impact on the overall performance of its operations. In response to a question, Federal
Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Bilour informed that there were multiple reasons
of the loss.
A parliamentarian from opposition benches suggested that instead of giving railway
land on lease to powerful people, it should be sold in the open market to make it a
profitable organization. At present, PR owns a total of 167,690 acres and its estimated
value as per a study carried out by financial experts during 2002-2003 is Rs246
billion.
A fresh study for updating valuation of railway’s assets is currently in progress, the
minister said.During 2007-2008, the minister for railways said, 15 per cent increase in
pay and pension of federal government employees, phenomenal increase in oil prices
were the main reasons behind PR’s losses. Moreover, on the eve tragic death of
Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, railway’s assets suffered a massive loss of Rs6.5
billion.
The incident also caused a loss of Rs0.994 million due to suspension of train services.
It also faced a shortfall of revenue of Rs9.017 billion. Similarly, during 2008-2009 the
organisation had to face a shortfall in it revenue of Rs6.439 billion. Likewise, the
government increased pay, allowances and pensions up to 20 per cent which the PR