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Train times... Karachi - Lahore - Peshawar Karachi - Quetta Quetta - Lahore - Peshawar Khyber Pass railway International trains from Pakistan to India & Iran Europe to Pakistan & India overland Right:  An express at Lahore. Photo courtesy of Marcel Ochsner.

What are Pakistani trains like?

Trains have several classes:

• Air-conditioned sleeper (recommended);

• 1st class sleeper;

• Air-conditioned lower class (both seat & sleeper versions);

• Parlour car (comfortable open-plan seating.  Recommended for daytime journeys);

• Economy class seats;

• 2nd class - seat and sleeper versions.

Most important trains also have a restaurant car.  You can check train times and availability at the Pakistan Railways site, www.pakrail.com.

*** IMPORTANT ***  In summer 2009 it's reported that Pakistan is not allowing westerners to use trains or other surface travel within Pakistan, to avoid the embarrassment of having a westerner involved in any potential terrorist incident.  The correspondent was refused a visa for Pakistan when they realised he was entering overland and intended using surface transport.  I do not know if this is temporary or not.  If you have any more feedback, please please let me know!   It was later reported by the same correspondent (in October 2009) that the Pakistani consulate in  Birmingham also refused a visa on those grounds, but that the Pakistani consulate in Bradford had no problem issuing a visa for overland travel, and he can now travel(!).

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This is the mainline across Pakistan, and route of Pakistan's most famous train, the Khyber Mail.  There are lots of trains, but only the most important trains are shown here.  All trains shown have a restaurant car.

Karachi ► Lahore ► Peshawar
	Train No.:	27	41	7	15	1	107	101	103
	Classes:	P,L,E	P,L,E	A,1,L,E	A,L,E	A,1,E	P,L,E	P,L,E	P,L,E
Karachi (Cantonment)	depart	07:00  day 1	16:00  day 1	17:00  day 1	18:00  day 1	22:00  day 1	-	-	-
Hyderabad	arr/dep	09:45  day 1	18:40  day 1	19:45  day 1	20:35  day 1	00:50  day 2	-	-	-
Rohri	arr/dep	14:50  day 1	23:20  day 1	00:40  day 2	01:05  day 2	05:40  day 2	-	-	-
Multan (Cantonment)	arr/dep	|	|	07:20  day 2	|	14:03  day 2	-	-	-
Lahore (Junction)	arr/dep	02:45  day 1	10:15  day 2	14:15  day 2	12:00  day 2	21:40  day 2	07:00	07:30	16:30
Rawalpindi	arr/dep	-	-	19:30  day 2	-	03:10  day 3	11:00	12:30	21:30
Attock	arr/dep	-	-	-	-	04:30  day 3	-	-	-
Peshawar (City)	arrive	-	-	-	-	06:20  day 3	-	-	-
Peshawar (Cantonment)	arrive	-	-	-	-	06:40  day 3	-	-	-

A = AC sleeper, 1 = 1st class sleeper, L = AC Lower seats, P = Parlour car seats, E = Economy seats, 2 = 2nd class seats

Train 1/2 = The KHYBER MAIL.  Recommended for Karachi-Peshawar journeys.

Train 7/8 = TEZGAM.  Recommended for Karachi-Rawalpindi journeys.

Train 15/16 = KARACHI EXPRESS.  Recommended for Karachi-Lahore journeys.

Train 27/28 = SHALIMAR EXPRESS.  Recommended for Karachi-Lahore journeys.

Train 41/42 = KARAKORAM EXPRESS.  Modern spacious Chinese-built coaches, with AC Lower Class sleepers, no AC Class sleepers.

Peshawar ► Lahore ► Karachi
	Train No.:	28	2	8	42	16	104	102	108
	Classes:	P,L,E	A,1,E	A,1,L,E	P,L,E	A,L,E	P,L,E	P,L,E	P,L,E
Peshawar (Cantonment)	depart	-	22:30  day 1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Peshawar (City)	depart	-	22:42  day 1	-	-	-	-	-	-
Attock	arr/dep	-	00:12  day 2	-	-	-	-	-	-
Rawalpindi	arr/dep	-	02:40  day 2	08:15  day 1	-	-	07:30	16:30	18:00
Lahore (Junction)	arr/dep	07:00  day 1	08:30  day 2	13:50  day 1	16:00  day 1	18:00  day 1	12:30	21:30	21:30
Multan (Cantonment)	arrive	|	15:30  day 2	20:55  day 1	|	|	-	-	-
Rohri	arr/dep	19:20  day 1	23:50  day 2	04:00  day 2	03:20 day 2	05:25  day 2	-	-	-
Hyderabad	arr/dep	00:10  day 1	05:25  day 3	09:15  day 2	07:55  day 2	09:55  day 2	-	-	-
Karachi (Cantonment)	arrive	03:00  day 1	06:45  day 3	12:00  day 2	10:45  day 2	12:50  day 2	-	-	-

Approximate fares
One-way per person:	AC sleeper	AC Lower (berth)	AC Lower (seat)	Economy (berth)	Economy (seat)
Karachi - Rawalpindi	Rs 2,600  (£21 / $30)	Rs ?	Rs 1,175  (£10 / $15)	Rs ?	Rs 505  (£4 / $7)
Karachi - Lahore (by Karakoram Express)	n/a	Rs 1,945  (£16 / $23)	Rs 1,315  (£11 / $17)	Rs 795  (£7 / $10)	Rs 715  (£6 / $8)

Children under 3 free, children 3 but under 12 travel at half the adult fare.

Below:  The Karakoram Express at Lahore station.  Photo courtesy of Koen Berghuis

Karachi ► Quetta			Quetta ► Karachi
Train No.:	3		Train No:	4
Classes:	1,E		Classes:	1,E
Karachi (City) depart:	17:00 day 1		Quetta depart:	11:00 day 1
Karachi (Cantonment) depart:	17:20 day 1		Karachi (Cantonment) arrive:	08:00 day 2
Quetta arrive:	14:10 day 2		Karachi (City) arrive:	08:25 day 2

Train 3/4 = BOLAN MAIL

Below:  Descending the Bolan Pass on an express from Quetta to Rawalpindi.  Photo courtesy of  Dr John Stubbs.

Quetta ► Peshawar			Peshawar ► Quetta
Train No.:	23		Train No.:	24
Classes:	A,1,E		Classes:	A,1,E
Quetta depart:	10:00  day 1		Peshawar depart:	08:00  day 1
Lahore arrive:	09:00  day 2		Rawalpindi depart:	11:40  day 1
Rawalpindi arrive:	15:10  day 2		Lahore depart:	17:20  day 1
Peshawar arrive:	18:40  day 2		Quetta arrive:	17:00  day 2

Train 23/24 = QUETTA EXPRESS

Peshawar - Landi Kotal

The line up the Khyber Pass, built by the British in 1920, is now officially closed to passenger trains, but special steam excursions operate from time to time.

	Above:  The border closure ceremony at Atari.  You can attend this if you use buses or taxis to cross. Photo courtesy of Koen Berghuis.
	Above:  The Samjohta Express crosses the India/Pakistan border.  Photo courtesy of Sudhir Mehra.

Pakistan to India by train:

Lahore-Amritsar-Delhi...

A twice-weekly train leaves Lahore at 08:00 on Mondays & Thursdays (these are the confirmed days of running as at November 2008, previously it ran on Tuesdays & Fridays) for Wagah (the Pakistan side of the Pakistan/India frontier) arriving 09:15, departing again after customs checks at 11:30 (in practice usually after 12:00) for Atari on the Indian side of the frontier, arriving 20 minutes later.  The train has 2nd class non-air-con seats only, and it's composed of Indian Railways carriages for half the year, Pakistani coaches for the other half (I suspect that the days of running may vary depending on which country is providing the coaches - it my run on Tues & Fri for part of the year when provided by Indian Railways, please double-check locally).  There are connections for Amritsar arriving around 15:00, and for Delhi (please double-check connecting times locally).  The fare from Lahore to Wagah is 130 Pakistani rupees.  Tickets are not sold at Lahore's main station, but at Lahore Railway Headquarters, about 2km from the station.  You need your passport to buy a ticket.  The fare from Wagah to Atari is 16 rupees.

For details of the westbound Samjhota Express from India to Pakistan, and for information on train travel within India, see the India page.

However, Lahore-Amritsar can also be done daily, and faster, by bus or taxi.  Take a bus or taxi Lahore-Wagah, walk through the frontier to Atari on the Indian side, then take a bus or taxi to Amritsar for daily trains to New Delhi.  Going by bus or taxi also allows you to see the spectacular ceremony at sunset when the border closes.  Indian and Pakistani guards try to outdo each other with their performances, watched by Indians and Pakistani crowds - as a tourist, you may get to sit in the VIP stand!    See the India page.

Karachi-Munabao-Jodhpur-Delhi...

A new weekly international train called the Thar Express started on 17 February 2006. 

• Eastbound:  The Thar Express leaves Karachi every Friday at 23:00, arriving at 'Zero Point' on the Pakistan/India frontier at around 08:00 next morning.  After customs checks, the train goes forward to Munabao on the Indian side, arriving around 11:00.The Indian train departs Munabao at 19:00 after customs formalities, arriving Jodhpur (Bhagat Ki Kothi station) at 23:50 Saturday.

• Westbound:  The Thar Express leaves Jodhpur (Bhagat Ki Kothi station, about 4km from the main station) every Saturday morning at 01:00 arriving Munabao at 07:00, leaving Munabao at around 14:30 on Saturdays, reaching Karachi at 02:15 on Sunday morning. 

• The sleeper fare from Jodhpur to Munabao/zero point is about Rs170, and from Munabao/zero point to Karachi is about Rs230.  No more information is yet available, but feedback would be appreciated!  The train has one sleeping-car and several economy cars.

Pakistan - Iran by train...

Trains run from Quetta to Zahedan (Iran) twice a month, see the Europe-India overland page.  Alternative buses may also be available, please check locally.  You should check the security situation in this part of Iran at www.fco.gov.uk before travelling.

London - Pakistan overland by train...

This is possible in 2-3 weeks, if you are adventurous and have the necessary organisational & planning skills.  See the Europe-India overland page.

If you have any photos, travel reports or more information that would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!

Find a hotel in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar or elsewhere in Pakistan...

A good guidebook like the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide will point you at some good hotels in each town or city when you get there.  Alternatively, you can pre-book hotels in most cities through www.hotelscombined.com, just use the search box below.  It's not a hotel booking website, but a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites for you (AsiaRooms, Asiativ.com, Opodo, Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms and many others) to find the cheapest hotel rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online worldwide.

		Search all major hotel booking websites at once...
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Overland travel by train & bus around Pakistan is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Asia in the first place.  For flights to Pakistan, start with www.e-bookers.com.  Seat61 gets a small commission through this link.

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