Karachi Express

Karachi Express (Urdu: کراچی ایکسپریس‎) is a passenger train operated daily by Pakistan Railways between Karachi 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]

Karachi Express
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
First service1943
Current operator(s)Pakistan Railways
Route
StartKarachi Cantonment
Stops11
EndLahore Junction
Distance travelled1,214 kilometres (754 mi)
Average journey time18 hours, 30 minutes
Service frequencyDaily
Train number(s)15UP (Karachi→Lahore)
16DN (Lahore→Karachi)
On-board services
Class(es)AC Sleeper
AC Business
AC Standard
Economy
Sleeping arrangementsAvailable
Catering facilitiesAvailable
Technical
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Track owner(s)Pakistan Railways

History

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 only 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]

Route

Station stops

Incidents
  • Ghotki train crash
    • In its worst accident three passenger trains collided on 13 July 2005, derailing 13 carriages and leaving at least 120 dead. The Karachi Express ran into the back of the Quetta Express while it was stopped at a station near Ghotki, and the Tezgam travelling in the opposite direction hit several of the derailed carriages. According to officials, the conductor of the Karachi Express misread a signal.[7]
  • Mehrabpur train derailment
    • On 19 December 2007, Karachi Express derailed near the town of Mehrabpur in the Sindh province of Pakistan. At around 2:25 a.m. local time, fourteen of the train's sixteen carriages left the tracks, some being mangled by the crash, others simply sliding down an embankment into the water. Sabotage and terrorism were ruled out as the reason for the crash, with officials believing a faulty track was the cause of the derailment.

References
  1. IRFCA: Pakistan Railway Train Names Author: Owais Mughal, Retrieved on 1 July 2013
  2. "IRFCA: Pakistan Railway Train Names". Owais Mughal. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  3. IRFCA: Pakistan Railway Train Names Author: Owais Mughal. Retrieved on 27 May 2013
  4. IRFCA: Pakistan Railway Train Names Author: Owais Mughal. Retrieved on 7 April 2013
  5. Nation Newspaper, Karachi Express Revived, Retrieved on 17 May 2013
  6. Nation Newspaper, Karachi Express Revived, Retrieved on 17 May 2013
  7. "World's worst rail disasters". BBC. 13 July 2005. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
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