Pakistan Railways (PR) is the national, state-owned enterprise with limited capacity and acceptable quality of service. Notwithstanding the fact that railways system in Pakistan is not very highly developed, train travel is still very popular in Pakistan and is still the cheapest mode of travel. Pakistan Railways was established 1861. With its corporate headquarters located in Lahore, Pakistan Railways owns approximately 4,800 miles (7,791 km). Pakistan Railways operates passenger and goods trains between different destinations in Pakistan and connects some of the remotest areas of Pakistan via train travel.

Pakistan Railways is currently working on an extensive and comprehensive expansion and up-gradation plan termed “Vision 2026”. The plan includes procurement of new locomotives, development of new tracks and overhaul of existing routes, increased average speed, expansion of passenger services, and improvement of train and passenger safety programs. Pakistan Railways is a member of International Union of Railways.

Classification of Train Accommodation

In Pakistan train accomodation is divided into five major classes namely:

Economy Seat

Economy Birth

AC Business

AC Standard

AC Sleeper

Food during Rail Travel

Most major stations have food stalls and restaurants that cater to various tastes and budgets. Major trains have a dining parlor as well.

Major Train Routes

Some of the major routes on which train are operated by Pakistan Railway are:

Karachi - Peshawar (Up and Down)

This is the most extensively used and busiest route in Pakistan. Popular trains that run on this route are Awami Express, Khyber Mail, Khushhal Khan Khattak Express and Rehman Baba Express. Most of the express trains on this route call at Karachi, Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Attock and Peshawar Stations

Karachi – Quetta (Up and Down).

The major stations on this route that the trains call at are Kotri, Sehwan Sharif, Jacobabad, Sibbi and Mach. The most popular train on this route is Bolan Express

Quetta – Peshawar (Up & Down)

This is also one of the most extensively travelled route in Pakistan. The trains on this route call at Attock, Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Lahore, Multan, Bahawalpur, Sukkur, Jacobabad, and Sibi. The most popular train on this route is Jaffar Express.

To visit the website of Pakistan Railway and book a ticket using automated reservation portal click here