Karakoram Express

Karakoram Express

Overview
Service type	Inter-city rail
First service	14 August 2002
Current operator(s)	Pakistan Railways
Route
Termini	Karachi Cantonment Lahore Junction
Stops	5
Distance travelled	1,241 kilometres (771 mi)
Average journey time	17 hours, 45 minutes
Service frequency	Daily
Train number(s)	41UP (Karachi→Lahore) 42DN (Lahore→Karachi)
On-board services
Class(es)	AC Business AC Standard Economy Class
Sleeping arrangements	Available
Catering facilities	Available
Technical
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Track owner(s)	Pakistan Railways
Route map Karakoram Express route map

Karakoram Express (Urdu: قراقرم ایکسپریس) is a passenger train operated daily by Pakistan Railways between Karachi and Lahore.[1] The trip takes approximately 17 hours and 45 minutes to cover a published distance of 1,241 kilometres (771 mi), traveling along a stretch of the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line, Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line and Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line.[1] The train is named after the famous Karakoram mountain range of northern Pakistan.

History

Karakoram Express was inaugurated on 14 August 2002.[2] This was during a period where Pakistan Railways went through several "facelifts" under Pervez Musharraf's government (including Karachi Express, Tezgam and Shalimar Express). Karakoram Express acquired the title of the "fastest train in Pakistan".[3]

Route

• Karachi Cantonment–Khanewal Junction via Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line
• Khanewal Junction–Sangla Hill Junction via Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line
• Sangla Hill Junction–Shahdara Bagh Junction via Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line
• Shahdara Bagh Junction–Lahore Junction via Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line

Station stops

• Karachi Cantonment
• Hyderabad Junction
• Rohri Junction
• Bahawalpur
• Khanewal Junction
• Toba Tek Singh
• Faisalabad
• Lahore Junction[4]

Equipment

The train operates 13 economy carriages, 4 AC Business carriages, 1 power van and 1 luggage van.[5]

References

1. Mughal, Owais (29 October 2004). "Pakistan Railway Train Names". irfca.org. Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
2. "Karachi: Karakoram Express train inaugurated". Dawn. 16 August 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
3. "Karachi: Karakoram Express begins daily operation". Dawn. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
4. "Train Timings". Pakistan Railways. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
5. "New coaches in Karakoram Express introduced". Pakistan Observer. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.