Karachi Express
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lahore Junction
| Karachi Express | |
|---|---|
 Karachi Express at Karachi Cantonment railway station | |
| Overview | |
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| First service | 1943 |
| Current operator | Pakistan Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | Karachi City Lahore Junction |
| Stops | 12 |
| Distance travelled | 1,214 kilometres (754 mi) |
| Average journey time | 19 hours, 30 minutes |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train numbers | 15UP (Karachi→Lahore) 16DN (Lahore→Karachi) |
| On-board services | |
| Classes | AC Sleeper AC Business AC Standard Economy Class |
| Sleeping arrangements | Available |
| Catering facilities | Available |
| Observation facilities | Medium sized windows in all carriages |
| Baggage facilities |
|
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) |
| Track owner | Pakistan Railways |
Karachi Express (Urdu: کراچی ایکسپریس) is a passenger train operated daily by Pakistan Railways between Karachi City and Lahore.[1] The trip takes approximately 18 hours and 30 minutes to cover a published distance of 1,214 kilometres (754 mi), traveling along a stretch of the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line.[2][3]
The Karachi Express began in 1943 and was originally between Karachi and Peshawar. Shortly after, the route was shortened between Karachi to Lahore. In 1999, Pakistan Railways began running non-stop, with only one technical stop at Khanpur. By 2003, economy class coaches were added and ceased to be a non-stop train.[4] During the PPP government in Pakistan, 2008–2013, the train service was almost completely finished due to shortage of power vans and locomotives. During much of 2012, the train was only running with economy class coaches and coupled with Millat Express from Khanewal onwards to Karachi. On 16 May 2013, the train was refurbished and a new rake was arranged that included 10 Economy, 3 AC Business, 2 AC Standard and 1 AC Sleeper class coaches. The route of the train was also changed so that now the train is running between Karachi and Lahore via Lodhran-Multan-Khanewal section instead of the Lodhran-Jahanian-Khanewal section. The train still covers the 1,225 kilometres (761 mi) distance between Karachi and Lahore in 18 hours.[5]
