Pakistan Railways
Encyclopedia
This article is about the rail company in Pakistan
. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan
.
Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan
, head-quartered in Lahore
. It is administered by the federal government
under the Ministry of Railways
. PR provides an important mode of transportation throughout Pakistan. It is commonly referred to as the "life line of the country", by aiding in large scale movement of people and freight throughout Pakistan. The current chairman is Shahid Hussain Raja. The organisation is bankrupt and has stopped all freight and many passenger services in a cost-cutting measure.
The idea of a rail network was first thought of in 1847, with the possibility of Karachi
becoming a major seaport. Sir Henry Edward Frere
, who was appointed as the Commissioner of Sindh, sought permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin a survey for a Karachi Seaport and a survey for a railway line in 1858. The proposed railway line would be laid from Karachi (city) to Kotri
. A steamboat
service on the Indus
and Chenab rivers would connect Kotri to Multan
and from there another railway line would be laid to Lahore
and beyond.
On May 13th, 1861 the first railway line was opened to the public, between Karachi (city) and Kotri, with a total distance of 105 miles (169 km).
By 1886, there were four railway companies operating in what would become Pakistan. The Scinde (Sindh
) Railways, Indian Flotilla Company, Punjab Railway and Delhi Railways. These were amalgamated into the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railways Company and purchased by the Secretary of State for India
in 1885, and in January 1886 formed the North Western State Railways, which was later on renamed as North Western Railway (NWR). This would eventually become Pakistan Railways in 1947.
Another railway line between Karachi and Keamari was opened on June 16, 1889. In 1897, the line from Keamari to Kotri was doubled
.
By 1898 as the network began to grow, another proposed railway line was in the works from Peshawar
to Karachi. It closely followed the route taken by Alexander The Great and his army while marching through the Hindu Kush
to the Arabian Sea
. During the early 20th century, railway lines were also laid down between Peshawar and Rawalpindi
and Rawalpindi to Lahore. Different sections on the existing main line from Peshawar and branch lines were constructed in the last quarter of 19th century and early 20th century.
In 1947, At the time of independence, 1,947 route miles (3,133 km) of North Western Railways were transferred to India, leaving 5,048 route miles (8,122 km) to Pakistan.
In 1954, the railway line was extended to Mardan
and Charsada, and in 1956 the Jacobabad
-Kashmore
gauge
line was converted
into broad gauge
. In 1961, the Pakistani portion of North Western Railways was renamed Pakistan Railways. The Kot Adu-Kashmore
line was constructed between 1969 and 1973 providing an alternative route from Karachi to northern Pakistan.
The total length of railway tracks in Pakistan is 5072 miles (8,162.6 km).
Iran -
A broad gauge railway line runs from Zahedan
to Quetta
, and a standard gauge line is finished from Zahedan
to Kerman
in central Iran, linking with the rest of the Iranian rail network. On May 18, 2007, a MOU for rail cooperation was signed by Pakistan and Iran under which the line will be completed by December 2008. Now that the rail systems are linked up at Zahedan, there is a break-of-gauge
between the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
standard gauge tracks and Pakistan Railways broad gauge.
India
- Thar Express
to Karachi
and the more famous Samjhauta Express
international train from Lahore, Pakistan to Amritsar (Attari) and Delhi, India.
Afghanistan -
Currently there is no rail link to Afghanistan
since no railway network is present in that country, however Pakistan Rail has proposed to help build an Afghan Rail Network in three phases. The first phase will stretch from the Chaman
to Spin Boldak
in Afghanistan. The second phase will extend line to Kandahar
and the third phase will eventually connect to Herat
. From there, the line will be extended to Khushka
, Turkmenistan
. The final phase would link gauge with Central Asian gauge. It is not clear where the break-of-gauge
station will be. The proposed line will also be connected the port town of Gwadar
via Dalbadin
and Taftan, thus connecting the port town to Central Asia.
China
-
There is no link with China however, on February 28, 2007 contracts were awarded for feasibility studies on a proposed line from Havelian
via the Khunjerab Pass
at 4730 m above sea level, to the Chinese railhead
at Kashgar
, a distance of about 750 km.
Turkey - An Istanbul
-Tehran
-Islamabad
passenger rail service was proposed recently. Meanwhile a container train service was launched by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani between Islamabad and Istanbul
on 14 August 2009. The first train carried 20 containers
with a capacity of around 750 t (738 LT; 827 ST) and will travel 6500 km (4,038.9 mi) from Islamabad, through Tehran
, Iran
and on to Istanbul in two weeks' time. According to the Minister for Railways
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
, after the trial of the container train service, a passenger train will be launched. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe
and Central Asia
, and carry passengers.
Turkmenistan - via Afghanistan (proposed)
.
The Freight Business Unit offers services to meet customer requirements and reduce costs through efficiency, innovation and modernization. All possible efforts are made to increase revenues and pass on the benefits to customers. The Freight Business Unit is headed by an additional General Manager.
The Freight Rates structure is based on market trends, particularly of road transport, which is the Railways' main competitor. The freight rates are no longer rigid but flexible, depending on the lead, peak-off peak season, and quantum offered.
A on August 14, 2009 by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani between Islamabad and Istanbul
via Tehran
. The first train carried 20 containers
with a capacity of around 750 t (738 LT; 827 ST) and will travel 6500 km (4,038.9 mi) from Islamabad, through Tehran
, Iran
and on to Istanbul in two weeks' time. According to the Minister for Railways
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
, after the trial of the container train service, a passenger train will be launched. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe
and Central Asia
, and carry passengers.
, a public spread on an area of 251 acres (101.6 ha), was put into service in 1993 with the collaboration of Government of Japan
at a total cost of Rs.2284.00 million, including a foreign exchange component of Rs.1496.00 million. The factory can produce two diesel-electric locomotives per month on single-shift basis, but this can be doubled by introducing a second working shift. The factory is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment which can be employed in the building of diesel-electric locomotives of suitable horsepower, as well as electric locomotives with minor adjustments.
Since 1993, twenty three PHA-20 type 2000 hp diesel-electric locomotives have rolled out of the factory. The ongoing project of 3000 hp AGE-30 diesel-electric locomotives is at the verge of its completion, which is a milestone in the history of the factory. Apart from manufacturing new locomotives, the Pakistan Locomotive Factory has also successfully rehabilitated five diesel-electric locomotives of GRU-20 Type and manufactured other various spares/components for railway maintenance divisions and rehabilitation projects.
the narrow gauge lines to broad gauge
, with little narrow gauge remaining.
and Quetta
will be built and the Bostan-Zhob
narrow-gauge railway line will be converted into broad gauge in 2007 at a cost of US$1.25 billion. Plans to increase train speeds, install more lengths of double track and to convert the country's railways to standard gauge
are also currently under way.
- Multan
- Khanewal
line (121 km) was dual-tracked; work began in 2003 and completed on 16-03-2007.
The Khanewal - Raiwind
line (246 km) is currently being doubled, at a cost of Rs.8.326 billion. The project commenced in July 2005. The section from Khanewal to Sahiwal (119 km) has been opened as Double line section on 17-04-2010. The work of dualization of
railway track from Sahiwal to Okara has completed and Okara to Raiwind Section is in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2011.
The following lines are planned to be doubled:
and Sindh
.
in 2006.
A container train service from Pakistan to Turkey has been launched.
In spring 2009, a rail link between Quetta and Zahedan
(in Iran
) was constructed, allowing Pakistan Railways direct access to Europe
and the Middle East
. A gauge changing station
was constructed to the standard gauge at Zahedan and the Turkish Lake Van
train ferry
and the Marmaray Tunnel under the Bosphorus. It is planned to run container trains and through passenger trains. Pakistan plans to convert the Quetta line to standard gauge eventually.
to boost trade relations between the two countries.
The study will cover a 750-kilometre section between Havellian and the 4,730-metre-high Khunjerab Pass
over Mansehra district and the Karakoram Highway
. Havellian is already linked with the rest of the rail network in Pakistan; the Chinese will lay some 350 km of track within their own territory from Kashgar
terminus up to the Khunjerab Pass, linking Pakistan with China's rail network, largely following the route of the Karakoram Highway
.
By expanding its stake in Pakistan's rail sector, China is poised to exploit the country's advantageous geographical position - strategically located at the confluence of South, Central and West Asia.
Beijing's involvement in several rail projects in Pakistan is motivated primarily by commercial considerations, but it also sees distinct advantages for its improved transportation and access to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf states. A reliable network of road and rail links can only ensure China's access to energy-rich central Asia, serving it both commercially and strategically.
In the first week of this month, Pakistan Railways and China's Dong Fang Electric Supply Corp signed an agreement for establishing a rail link between Havellian and Khunjerab. Ingenieurgemeinschaft Lasser-Feizlmayr (ILF), a consortium of consultant engineers from Austria, Germany and Pakistan, is to submit its report to the Ministry of Railways in nine months. It is most likely that the distance between Havellian and Khunjerab will involve the construction of tunnels. The ILF services encompass both the construction of new high-speed railway lines and the modernization of existing lines for standard-gauge and narrow-gauge railways in addition to tunnels.
Pakistan Railways has recently entered several agreements with Chinese railway companies for its development. In 2001, Pakistan Railways signed a $91.89 million contract with China National Machinery Import and Export Corp for the manufacture of 175 new high-speed passenger coaches. The project was funded by Exim Bank China on a supplier credit basis. Forty completely built passenger coaches have been received and 105 will be assembled in Pakistan Railways' carriage factory by next December.
These coaches are being used on Pakistan Railways' mail and express trains from Rawalpindi-Lahore-Karachi, Lahore-Faisalabad and Rawalpindi-Quetta. The manufacturing kits for the remaining 30 coaches have also been received and manufacturing is in progress. With 12 already assembled, the project is scheduled to be completed by next month. The passenger coaches are of the latest design and are equipped with disc brakes. The technology transfer for these coaches has been obtained from China's Chang Chun Car Co.
Under an agreement signed with China in 2003, Pakistan Railways purchased 69 locomotives, of which 15 were delivered as completely built units and are in use by Pakistan Railways. The remaining 54 are to be built at Pakistan Railways' locomotive factory. The Chinese locomotives are 37% cheaper than the European locomotives.
Some in Pakistan have been criticizing the faulty locomotives purchased by Pakistan Railways from Dong Fang Electric Corp of China. It is surprising that last year, Pakistan Railways decided to purchase 45 more 2,000-3,000-horsepower locomotives from the same company. The company is willing to redesign the already-delivered 30 locomotives of the original order, such that the underframe is strengthened and the weight reduced to less than 140 tons. Last year, as a result of an open bidding, a Chinese company, Beijing Research and Design Institute, is committed to providing 300 rail cars to Pakistan Railways.
Under another agreement signed in 2004 with China National Machinery and Equipment Group, the Chinese company is to undertake the construction of Corridor 1 of a light-rail mass-transit system for Karachi that is intended to serve 4 million commuters. The project will cost about $568 million and take four and a half years to complete. The contract has been awarded on a build-operate-transfer basis and comprises five corridors.
Pakistan signed a series of agreements with China during the past three years to enhance the capability of its railway system. Under an agreement signed between Pakistan and China Railway, a Chinese company will provide 1,300 freight cars to Pakistan Railways, of which 420 will be manufactured in China and the remaining 880 will be produced at the Moghalpura railway workshops in Lahore.
Under another project, 450 passenger coaches will be rehabilitated at an estimated cost of Rs2.14 billion. The project also includes the conversion of 40 coaches into air-conditioned cars and the conversion of 10 power vans. Furthermore, there is a provision of 100 new high-speed bogies, 30 of which will be imported from China, while 70 will be manufactured locally on a transfer-of-technology basis. Under a separate agreement, 175 new passenger coaches are being purchased from China.
As part of a $100 million agreement signed between Pakistan and China in November 2001, China is to export 69 modern locomotive engines to Pakistan to modernize Pakistan's railway fleet. The first eight engines have been completed and are ready for shipment to Karachi. The new engines consume less fuel than older models and are cheaper to maintain. The main feature of this deal is that the first 15 engines will be manufactured in China and the remainder will be assembled in Pakistan, with spare parts and technology provided by China. Similarly, for a Rs7.2 billion railway project in Sindh province involving laying 78,000 tons of rails, China delivered 64,000 tons to Pakistan Railways.
China is going to be the beneficiary of Gwadar's most accessible international trade routes to the Central Asian republics and Xinjiang. By extending its East-West Railway from the Chinese border city of Kashi to Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest, Beijing can receive cargo to and from Gwadar along the shortest route, from Karachi to Peshawar. The rail network could also be used to supply oil from the Persian Gulf to Xinjiang. Pakistan's internal rail network can also provide China with rail access to Iran.
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan
Transport in Pakistan
Transportation in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people. Construction of new airports, roads, and railway lines have led to an employment boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network and railway network...
.
Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, head-quartered in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
. It is administered by the federal government
Government of Pakistan
The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...
under the Ministry of Railways
Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Railway is responsible for overall control of Pakistan Railways as well as to guide the overall policy. There are four Directorates in this Division namely:* Administrative Directorate,* Technical Directorate,* Planning Directorate, and...
. PR provides an important mode of transportation throughout Pakistan. It is commonly referred to as the "life line of the country", by aiding in large scale movement of people and freight throughout Pakistan. The current chairman is Shahid Hussain Raja. The organisation is bankrupt and has stopped all freight and many passenger services in a cost-cutting measure.
Current State
Pakistan, despite its moderate size, has a largely dysfunctional railway system. As of mid 2011, it was decided to stop all goods train haulage due to severe shortage of locomotives and fuel. The financially bankrupt organization, despite bailouts, has not been able to emerge out of its troubles leading to cancellation of as many as 115 railway services. The decision has left ordinary Pakistanis at the mercy of bus operators for long distance travel. As of 2011, the PR network cancelled major train services between Lahore and Karachi and all AC services were stopped. Interestingly, it was reported that PR may lease some locomotives from China and India in order to overcome the crunch situation.History
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
becoming a major seaport. Sir Henry Edward Frere
Henry Bartle Frere
Sir Henry Bartle Edward Frere, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCSI, was a British colonial administrator.-Early life:Frere was born at Clydach House, Clydach, Monmouthshire, the son of Edward Frere, manager of Clydach Ironworks...
, who was appointed as the Commissioner of Sindh, sought permission from Lord Dalhousie to begin a survey for a Karachi Seaport and a survey for a railway line in 1858. The proposed railway line would be laid from Karachi (city) to Kotri
Kotri
Kotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
. A steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
service on the Indus
Indus River
The Indus River is a major river which flows through Pakistan. It also has courses through China and India.Originating in the Tibetan plateau of western China in the vicinity of Lake Mansarovar in Tibet Autonomous Region, the river runs a course through the Ladakh district of Jammu and Kashmir and...
and Chenab rivers would connect Kotri to Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
and from there another railway line would be laid to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
and beyond.
On May 13th, 1861 the first railway line was opened to the public, between Karachi (city) and Kotri, with a total distance of 105 miles (169 km).
By 1886, there were four railway companies operating in what would become Pakistan. The Scinde (Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
) Railways, Indian Flotilla Company, Punjab Railway and Delhi Railways. These were amalgamated into the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railways Company and purchased by the Secretary of State for India
Secretary of State for India
The Secretary of State for India, or India Secretary, was the British Cabinet minister responsible for the government of India and the political head of the India Office...
in 1885, and in January 1886 formed the North Western State Railways, which was later on renamed as North Western Railway (NWR). This would eventually become Pakistan Railways in 1947.
Another railway line between Karachi and Keamari was opened on June 16, 1889. In 1897, the line from Keamari to Kotri was doubled
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
.
By 1898 as the network began to grow, another proposed railway line was in the works from Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
to Karachi. It closely followed the route taken by Alexander The Great and his army while marching through the Hindu Kush
Hindu Kush
The Hindu Kush is an mountain range that stretches between central Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. The highest point in the Hindu Kush is Tirich Mir in the Chitral region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.It is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and is a...
to the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
. During the early 20th century, railway lines were also laid down between Peshawar and Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi
Rawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
and Rawalpindi to Lahore. Different sections on the existing main line from Peshawar and branch lines were constructed in the last quarter of 19th century and early 20th century.
In 1947, At the time of independence, 1,947 route miles (3,133 km) of North Western Railways were transferred to India, leaving 5,048 route miles (8,122 km) to Pakistan.
In 1954, the railway line was extended to Mardan
Mardan
Mardan , known as The city of hospitality, is a city and headquarters of Mardan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. It is the de facto headquarters of the Yousafzai tribe and the second most populous city in the province, located at 34°12'0N 72°1'60E and an altitude of in the south...
and Charsada, and in 1956 the Jacobabad
Jacobabad
Jacobabad or Yaqubabad is the capital city of Jacobabad District, Sindh, Pakistan. The city is also the administrative centre of Jacobabad Taluka, an administrative subdivision of the district, the city is subdivided into 8 Union Councils...
-Kashmore
Kashmore
Kashmore is a town in and administrative centre for Kashmore District in the Sindh Province of Pakistan....
gauge
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
line was converted
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
into broad gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
. In 1961, the Pakistani portion of North Western Railways was renamed Pakistan Railways. The Kot Adu-Kashmore
Kashmore
Kashmore is a town in and administrative centre for Kashmore District in the Sindh Province of Pakistan....
line was constructed between 1969 and 1973 providing an alternative route from Karachi to northern Pakistan.
Major routes
The total length of railway tracks in Pakistan is 5072 miles (8,162.6 km).
Domestic
- PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
-KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million... - PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
-QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the... - LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
-SialkotSialkotSialkot is a city in Pakistan situated in the north-east of the Punjab province at the foothills of snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District. The city is about north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometers from Indian-controlled Jammu.The... - LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
-FaisalabadFaisalabadFaisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has... - FaisalabadFaisalabadFaisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
-KhanewalKhanewalKhanewal is the capital city of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is notable for being the host city to the second largest train station in Pakistan. Khanewal is located at 30°18'0N 71°56'0E with an altitude of 128 metres and is named after the earliest settlers here who...
Major stations and junctions
- PeshawarPeshawarPeshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
-KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
line:- PeshawarPeshawar Railway StationPeshawar Railway Station is located in middle of the Peshawar City, North-West Frontier Province, Pakistan. Peshawar Railway Station is staffed and has a booking office.-Train routes:...
- NowshehraNowshehraNowshehra or Naushera is a town and a notified area committee in Rajauri district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.-Geography:Nowshehra is located at . It has an average elevation of 1,575 metres .-Demographics:...
Junction - Jahangira Road
- AttockAttockAttock is a city located in the northern border of the Punjab province of Pakistan and the headquarters of Attock District...
- Hassan Abdal
- TaxilaTaxilaTaxila is a Tehsil in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab province of Pakistan. It is an important archaeological site.Taxila is situated about northwest of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi in Panjab; just off the Grand Trunk Road...
- RawalpindiRawalpindiRawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
- Chaklala
- Gujar KhanGujar KhanGujar Khan is a city in Rawalpindi District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is the headquarters of Gujar Khan Tehsil, the largest tehsil of Punjab. It is approximately 55 kilometres southeast of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan and 220 km to the north west of Lahore, capital of Punjab...
- MandraMandraMandra , is a town and municipality in the central part of West Attica, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Mandra-Eidyllia, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit.Mandra is part of the Athens metropolitan area...
- SohawaSohawaSohawa is an administrative sub-division of Jhelum District, situated in the Punjab province of Pakistan.. Sohawa has grown from a small village in 1947 to a large town in 2009, development in transportation , education and health has played a major role in the development of the town...
- DinaDinaDina may refer to:*Sanskrit word meaning "day"*Dina , game by Bit Corp*Hebrew word meaning "judged"*Dina , Russian futsal club based in Moscow-Places:*The Massina Empire...
- JhelumJhelumJhelum or Jehlum may refer to:* Jhelum, a city in Pakistan on the banks of the Jhelum River* Jhelum District, an administrative division in Punjab, Pakistan surrounding the city of Jhelum...
- KharianKharianKharian is a city of Gujrat District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The chief city of Kharian Tehsil, it lies almost midway between Lahore and Islamabad on the Grand Trunk Road . This is the road which connects the city all the way to Bangladesh, India and Afghanistan and was used during...
- LalamusaLalamusaLalamusa is a town in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is geographically located at latitude 32° 42' 0" North of the Equator and longitude 73° 57' 35" East of the Prime Meridian on the Map of the world...
Junction - GujratGujratGujrat is a city in Pakistan. It is the capital of Gujrat District and the Gujrat Tehsil subdivision in the Punjab Province. People living in Gujrat refer to themselves as Gujratis, which sometimes leads to confusion with people from the Indian state of Gujarat which adjoins Pakistan...
- WazirabadWazirabadAYAZ KHANWazirabad is an industrial city located in Gujranwala District, Punjab, Pakistan. Wazirabad is situated on the banks of the Chenab River nearly 100 kilometres north of Lahore on the Grand Trunk Road. It is 45 kilometres from Sialkot, 30 kilometres from the district capital - Gujranwala...
Junction - Ghakhar MandiGhakhar Mandi- Geography :Ghakhar CityNew name with old nameGhakhar Mandi is a city in Gujranwala district, Pakistan, located between the major cities of Gujranwala in the southeast and Wazirabad in the northwest...
- GujranwalaGujranwalaGujranwala is a industrial city in the north-east of the Punjab province. It is the sixth largest city in Pakistan with a population of approximately 2,661,360 as on 24 June 2011...
- KamokeKamokeKāmoke is a city of Gujranwala District located in Punjab, Pakistan, it has a population of 167,300. The city is the capital of Kamoke Tehsil which is an administrative subdivision of the district, the city is itself subdivided into 8 Union Councils...
- MuridkeMuridkeMuridke is a major commercial area near the city of Lahore, Pakistan, it is located at 31°45'35N 73°50'16E and has an elevation of 205 m and is situated on the famous Grand Trunk Road and at the crossroads to Sheikhupura, Gujranwala and Narang Mandi/ Narowal...
- ShahdaraShahdaraShahdara , is an area in Delhi, named so because of being established by Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan, is a part of Delhi region in India, situated at the bank of Yamuna river.It is one of the oldest established regions of Delhi and one of the important part of what is known as Purani Dilli...
Junction - LahoreLahore Railway StationThe Lahore Railway Station in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan was built by British colonists between 1859-1860 at the cost of half a million Rupees. It is of typical grand British architecture in South Asia during the British Raj period...
Junction - Lahore CanttLahore CanttLahore Cantonment, also known as Lahore Cantt, is located in the eastern part of Lahore, Pakistan. It is an open, green place compared to the rest of the Lahore. Pakistan's army has maintained its setup in Lahore by deploying two of its divisions in Lahore Cantonment, namely the 10th and 11th...
- WaltonWalton-People:* Walton family, connected to Wal-Mart* The Waltons, an American television series centered on the fictitious eponymous family* The Walton sextuplets, the world's first all-female surviving sextuplets, born in 1983-United Kingdom:*Walton, Aylesbury...
- RaiwindRaiwindRaiwind is a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of the Nishter Town subdivision of Lahore District and is located at 31°15'16N 74°13'4E with an altitude of 203 metres and lies about 25 km from Lahore, the capital of the Punjab...
Junction - Kot Radha KishanKot Radha KishanKot Radha Kishan is a town of Kasur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The town is administratively subdivided into two Union councils...
- Renala KhurdRenala KhurdRenala Khurd is a growing city of Okara District in the north east of the Punjab province of Pakistan. The city is the headquarters of Renala Khurd Tehsil - an administrative subdivision of the district. Its approximate height above sea level is about...
- OkaraOkara, PakistanOkara is the capital city of Okara District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. The name Okara is derived from Okaan, a name of a tree, the city is located south-west to the city of Lahore and is famous for its agriculture-based economy and cotton mills...
- SahiwalSahiwalSahiwal is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the administrative centre of Sahiwal District and Sahiwal Division. Sahiwal is approximately 180 km from the major city Lahore and is the city between Lahore and Multan...
- ChichawatniChichawatniChichawatni is a town in the Sahiwal District of the Pakistani province of Punjab. Situated near the Grand Trunk Road, it lies approximately from Sahiwal, the district capital.-Etymology:...
- Mian ChannuMian ChannuMian Channu is a city in Punjab province, Pakistan .In the year 1919, it was declared as a notified area Committee and in 1938 as a Town Committee. Its limits were last extended in the year 1950. Since then no extension has been made and the development in the Town from 1947 to 1961 remained slow...
- KhanewalKhanewalKhanewal is the capital city of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is notable for being the host city to the second largest train station in Pakistan. Khanewal is located at 30°18'0N 71°56'0E with an altitude of 128 metres and is named after the earliest settlers here who...
Junction - Sher ShahSher ShahSher Shah may refer to:* Sher Shah Suri , founder of the Suri dynasty* Sher Shah , neighbourhood of Kiamari Town, Karachi, Pakistan* Sher Shah , town in Multan District, Pakistan...
Junction - MultanMultanMultan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
Cantt - ShujabadShujabadShujabad is the oldest tehsil of Multan District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located about 45 km in south from Multan. Chenab River is situated in the west of city. Neighbouring settlements include Jalalpur Pirwala, Multan and Lodhran. Its population is about 600,000 .Shujabad is...
- LodhranLodhranLodhran is the chief city of Lodhran District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located on the northern side of River Sutlej.-Administration:...
Junction - BahawalpurBahawalpurBahawalpur , located in the province of Punjab, is the twelfth largest city in Pakistan. The city was once the capital of the former princely state of Bahawalpur. The city was home to various Nawabs and counted as part of the Rajputana states...
- Samma Satta Junction
- Dera Nawab Sahab/Ahmadpur EastAhmadpur EastAhmadpur East or Ahmedpur Sharqia is one of the five tehsils of Bahawalpur District in the Punjab province of Pakistan....
- LiaqatpurLiaqatpur-Genereal information:Liaquatpur or Liaqatpur is a town and administrative centre of Liaquatpur Tehsil in Rahim Yar Khan District, Pakistan...
- KhanpurKhanpurKhanpur is a city and Tehsil of the Rahim Yar Khan District of Bahawalpur Division, in the Punjab Province of Pakistan. According to the census of 1998, the city population was 117,764 with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. As of in 2009, it is around 156,152....
Junction - Rahim Yar Khan
- SadiqabadSadiqabadSadiqabad or Sadiq Abad or Sadik Abad or Sadikabad is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Sadiqabad is also the administrative centre of Sadiqabad Tehsil, which is a sub-division of Rahim Yar Khan District....
- DaharkiDaharkiDaharki is a city of Ghotki District in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the capital of Daharki Taluka - an administrative subdivision of the district. It is situate about 100 km from Sukkur, and between Mirpur Mathelo and Ubaro....
- Mirpur MatheloMirpur MatheloMirpur Mathelo is a town in Ghotki District, Sindh province, Pakistan. The city is the capital of Mirpur Mathelo Taluka and is administratively subdivided into two union councils....
- GhotkiGhotkiGhotki Ghotki is the capital of Ghotki District in northern Sindh, Pakistan. It was the site of the July 13, 2005, Ghotki rail crash. The town is located at 28°1'0N 69°19'0E with an altitude of 72 metres ....
- Pano Aqil Cantt
- RohriRohriRohri is a town of Sukkur District, Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located at 27°40'60N 68°54'0E, on the east bank of the Indus River. Rohri town is the administrative headquarters of Rohri Taluka, a tehsil of Sukkur District with which it forms a metropolitan area...
Junction - Khairpur
- GambatGambatGambat is a town of Khairpur District in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is located at 27°21'5N 68°31'12E with an altitude of 47 metres . The town is administratively subdivided into two Union councils...
- RanipurRanipurRanipur is a town and a Nagar Panchayat in Jhansi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-Geography:Ranipur is located at . It has an average elevation of 205 metres .-Demographics:...
- MehrabpurMehrabpurMehrabpur is a city in the Naushahro Feroze District of Sindh in Pakistan.The city is administratively subdivided into 2 Union Concil....
Junction - Padidan Junction
- Bhiria road
- NawabshahNawabshahNawabshah , or Shaheed Benazirabad, is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is headquarter of Shaheed Benazir Abad District...
Junction - ShahdadpurShahdadpurShahdadpur is a city in Sindh, a province of Pakistan. It is located at 27°51'N and 67°64'E. The historical city of al-Mansura is situated about 19 km south-east of Shahdadpur. The shrines of Sohni and Mehinwal, from the Sohni Mahiwal story, are located in and near to the city, the shrine of Sohni...
- Tando Adam Junction
- HyderabadHyderabad, Sindhis the second largest city in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is the seventh largest city in the country. The city was founded in 1768 by Mian Ghulam Shah Kalhoro upon the ruins of a Mauryan fishing village along the bank of the Indus known as Neroon Kot...
Junction - KotriKotriKotri , a large town, is the headquarters station of the Kotri Taluka, or administrative district...
Junction - JhimpirJhimpirJhimpir Sindh, Pakistan is a village 70 kilometers from Karachi which is the site of a wind power project. It's the only place in Pakistan where dolomite is found....
- Jangshahi
- LandhiLandhiLandhi is one of the neighbourhoods of Landhi Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. There are several ethnic groups in Landhi including Muhajirs, Punjabis, Sindhis, Kashmiris, Seraikis, Pakhtuns, Balochis, Memons, Bohras, Ismailis, etc. Over 99% of the population is Muslims...
Junction - Karachi Cantt. Station
- Karachi City StationKarachi City StationKarachi City Railway Station or Karachi City Station is the first and the oldest railway station in Pakistan. It is located Off I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi in Sindh, Pakistan. After the construction of Karachi Cantt. Station, major passenger trains and traffic shifted to Karachi Cantt...
- Peshawar
- QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
-KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
line:- QuettaQuetta Railway StationQuetta Railway Station is located in middle of the Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. Quetta is connected to Lahore by a 727 miles long railway line. Similarly, it is also connected by rail with Peshawar and Karachi...
City - SpezandSpezandSpezand is a town and Union Council of Mastung District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. It is located at 29°58'60N 67°0'0E and has an altitude of 1795 metres .- Transport :...
Junction - MachhMachhMachh, or Mach, is a small town and union council of Bolan District in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The town has an altitude of 1006 metres and is located at 29°52'0N 67°19'60E, - some about 50 km southeast of Quetta, the provincial capital...
- Aab-e-gumAab-e-gumAab-e-gum is a railway station in Balochistan, Pakistan. It is situated 50 kilometres south of Quetta near the Chilton mountain. The railway station was built by the British in 1886. The railway station is situated between Karachi and Quetta....
- SibiSibiSibi is a city of Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city is located at 29°33'0N 67°52'60E at an altitude of 130 metres and is headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name.. According to the 2001 census of Pakistan the population of Sibi is 52,100...
Junction - Dera Murad JamaliDera Murad JamaliDera Murad Jamali is a city located in Nasirabad District in Balochistan, Pakistan.The city is named after the assassinated Pakistani leader Mir Murad Khan Jamali...
- JacobabadJacobabadJacobabad or Yaqubabad is the capital city of Jacobabad District, Sindh, Pakistan. The city is also the administrative centre of Jacobabad Taluka, an administrative subdivision of the district, the city is subdivided into 8 Union Councils...
Junction - Shikarpur
- Sukkar
- RohriRohriRohri is a town of Sukkur District, Sindh province, Pakistan. It is located at 27°40'60N 68°54'0E, on the east bank of the Indus River. Rohri town is the administrative headquarters of Rohri Taluka, a tehsil of Sukkur District with which it forms a metropolitan area...
Junction - From Rohri to onward Karachi, see the list above
- Quetta
Proposed
- KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
-GwadarGwadarGwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the... - QuettaQuettais the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
-GwadarGwadarGwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the... - Bostan-ZhobZhob-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
- RawalpindiRawalpindiRawalpindi , locally known as Pindi, is a city in the Pothohar region of Pakistan near Pakistan's capital city of Islamabad, in the province of Punjab. Rawalpindi is the fourth largest city in Pakistan after Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad...
-SostSOSTSclerostin is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SOST gene.-External links:*-Further reading:...
International
Iran -A broad gauge railway line runs from Zahedan
Zahedan
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.-Geography:...
to Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
, and a standard gauge line is finished from Zahedan
Zahedan
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.-Geography:...
to Kerman
Kerman
- Geological characteristics :For the Iranian paleontologists, Kerman has always been considered a fossil paradise. Finding new dinosaur footprints in 2005 has now revealed new hopes for paleontologists to better understand the history of this area.- Economy :...
in central Iran, linking with the rest of the Iranian rail network. On May 18, 2007, a MOU for rail cooperation was signed by Pakistan and Iran under which the line will be completed by December 2008. Now that the rail systems are linked up at Zahedan, there is a break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
between the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
Islamic Republic of Iran Railways
The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. is an associate of the IR and manages its passenger trains including international trains between Tehran and Istanbul and Tehran and Damascus...
standard gauge tracks and Pakistan Railways broad gauge.
IndiaRail transport in India
Rail transport is a commonly used mode of long-distance transportation in India. Almost all rail operations in India are handled by a state-owned organisation, Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways. The rail network traverses the length and breadth of the country, covering a total length of...
- Thar Express
Thar Express
Thar Express is an international train that connects Karachi, Pakistan to Bhagat Ki Kothi, India. Six kilometres apart, Munabao and Khokhrapar are the two last railway stations of the India-Pakistan border. Jamrao, Mirpur Khas, Shadi Pali, Saeendad, Barmer, Pithoro, Dhoro Naro, and Chhore are some...
to Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and the more famous Samjhauta Express
Samjhauta Express
The Samjhauta Express commonly called the Friendship Express, is a twice-weekly train Tuesdays and Fridays that runs between Delhi and Attari in India and Lahore in Pakistan. The word samjhauta means "Understanding","accord" and "compromise" in both Hindi and Urdu.Until the reopening of the Thar...
international train from Lahore, Pakistan to Amritsar (Attari) and Delhi, India.
Afghanistan -Currently there is no rail link to Afghanistan
Transport in Afghanistan
Transportation in Afghanistan, which serves a population of about 29 million people, is limited and still in the developing stages. Landlocked Afghanistan has no seaports but the Amu Darya River, which forms part of the nation's border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, does have barge...
since no railway network is present in that country, however Pakistan Rail has proposed to help build an Afghan Rail Network in three phases. The first phase will stretch from the Chaman
Chaman
Chaman is the capital of Qilla Abdullah District, Balochistan, Pakistan. It is situated just south of the border with Afghanistan. Across the border in Afghanistan is the neighbouring town of Spin Boldak, in Kandahar Province...
to Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak
Spin Boldak or Spin Buldak is a border town in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, right next to the Durand Line border with Pakistan. It is linked by a highway with the city of Kandahar to the north, and with Chaman and Quetta in Pakistan to the south. Spin Boldak has the second major...
in Afghanistan. The second phase will extend line to Kandahar
Kandahar
Kandahar is the second largest city in Afghanistan, with a population of about 512,200 as of 2011. It is the capital of Kandahar Province, located in the south of the country at about 1,005 m above sea level...
and the third phase will eventually connect to Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
. From there, the line will be extended to Khushka
Serhetabat
Serhetabat is a small town in the Mary Province in Turkmenistan, located in the valley of the Kushka River. Population: 5,200 ....
, Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
. The final phase would link gauge with Central Asian gauge. It is not clear where the break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
station will be. The proposed line will also be connected the port town of Gwadar
Gwadar
Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...
via Dalbadin
Dalbadin
Dalbadin in a city in the west of Pakistan. It is in the province of Balochistan- Railways :Dalbadin is proposed to be the junction for a branch railway to the Port of Gwadar....
and Taftan, thus connecting the port town to Central Asia.
ChinaTransportation in the People's Republic of China
Transport in the People's Republic of China has experienced major growth and expansion in recent years. Airports, roads, and railway construction will provide a massive employment boost in China over the next decade....
-
There is no link with China however, on February 28, 2007 contracts were awarded for feasibility studies on a proposed line from Havelian
Havelian
Havelian is the second largest municipality in Abbottabad District, in what used to be the Hazara District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.-villages:...
via the Khunjerab Pass
Khunjerab Pass
Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region within the disputed region of Kashmir and on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China...
at 4730 m above sea level, to the Chinese railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
at Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
, a distance of about 750 km.
Turkey - An IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
-Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
-Islamabad
Islamabad
Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan and the tenth largest city in the country. Located within the Islamabad Capital Territory , the population of the city has grown from 100,000 in 1951 to 1.7 million in 2011...
passenger rail service was proposed recently. Meanwhile a container train service was launched by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani between Islamabad and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on 14 August 2009. The first train carried 20 containers
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
with a capacity of around 750 t (738 LT; 827 ST) and will travel 6500 km (4,038.9 mi) from Islamabad, through Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and on to Istanbul in two weeks' time. According to the Minister for Railways
Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Railway is responsible for overall control of Pakistan Railways as well as to guide the overall policy. There are four Directorates in this Division namely:* Administrative Directorate,* Technical Directorate,* Planning Directorate, and...
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour is a former senior vice President in the Awami National Party and present Federal Railways minister in Pakistan. A present and former three time Federal Minister in Pakistan, he has played a significant role in the ANP and its predecessor, the National Awami Party...
, after the trial of the container train service, a passenger train will be launched. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, and carry passengers.
Turkmenistan - via Afghanistan (proposed)Passenger
Passenger traffic comprises 50% of the total revenue annually. During 1999-2000, this amounted to Rs. 4.8 billion. Pakistan Railways carries 65 million passengers annually and daily operates 228 mail, express and passenger trains. Daily, PR carries an average of 178,000 people. Pakistan Railways also operates special trains during occasions such as Eid ul Fitr, Eid ul Azha, Independence Day and Raiwind IjtemaRaiwind
Raiwind is a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of the Nishter Town subdivision of Lahore District and is located at 31°15'16N 74°13'4E with an altitude of 203 metres and lies about 25 km from Lahore, the capital of the Punjab...
.
Freight
The Freight Business Unit, with 12,000 personnel, operates over 200 freight stations on the railway network. The Unit serves the Ports of Karachi and Bin Qasim as well as all four provinces of the country and generates revenue from the movement of agricultural, industrial and imported products such as petroleum oil & lubricants (POL), wheat, coal, fertilizer, rock phosphate, cement and sugar. About 39% of the revenue is generated from the transportation of POL products, 19% from imported wheat, fertilizer and rock phosphate. The remaining 42% is earned from domestic traffic.The Freight Business Unit offers services to meet customer requirements and reduce costs through efficiency, innovation and modernization. All possible efforts are made to increase revenues and pass on the benefits to customers. The Freight Business Unit is headed by an additional General Manager.
The Freight Rates structure is based on market trends, particularly of road transport, which is the Railways' main competitor. The freight rates are no longer rigid but flexible, depending on the lead, peak-off peak season, and quantum offered.
A on August 14, 2009 by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani between Islamabad and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
via Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
. The first train carried 20 containers
Intermodal container
An intermodal container is a standardized reusable steel box used for the safe, efficient and secure storage and movement of materials and products within a global containerized intermodal freight transport system...
with a capacity of around 750 t (738 LT; 827 ST) and will travel 6500 km (4,038.9 mi) from Islamabad, through Tehran
Tehran
Tehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
, Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
and on to Istanbul in two weeks' time. According to the Minister for Railways
Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)
The Ministry of Railway is responsible for overall control of Pakistan Railways as well as to guide the overall policy. There are four Directorates in this Division namely:* Administrative Directorate,* Technical Directorate,* Planning Directorate, and...
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
Ghulam Ahmad Bilour
Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour is a former senior vice President in the Awami National Party and present Federal Railways minister in Pakistan. A present and former three time Federal Minister in Pakistan, he has played a significant role in the ANP and its predecessor, the National Awami Party...
, after the trial of the container train service, a passenger train will be launched. There are also hopes the route will eventually provide a link to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, and carry passengers.
Pakistan Locomotive Factory, Risalpur
The Pakistan Locomotive Factory at RisalpurRisalpur
Risalpur is a city in Nowshera District, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, on the Nowshera-Mardan Road. It is nearly 45 km from Peshawar and 15 km from Mardan and is located at 34°4'52N 71°58'21E. In a basin some 1014 feet above sea level, it is bounded on the south and west by the Kabul and...
, a public spread on an area of 251 acres (101.6 ha), was put into service in 1993 with the collaboration of Government of Japan
Government of Japan
The government of Japan is a constitutional monarchy where the power of the Emperor is very limited. As a ceremonial figurehead, he is defined by the 1947 constitution as "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people". Power is held chiefly by the Prime Minister of Japan and other elected...
at a total cost of Rs.2284.00 million, including a foreign exchange component of Rs.1496.00 million. The factory can produce two diesel-electric locomotives per month on single-shift basis, but this can be doubled by introducing a second working shift. The factory is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment which can be employed in the building of diesel-electric locomotives of suitable horsepower, as well as electric locomotives with minor adjustments.
Since 1993, twenty three PHA-20 type 2000 hp diesel-electric locomotives have rolled out of the factory. The ongoing project of 3000 hp AGE-30 diesel-electric locomotives is at the verge of its completion, which is a milestone in the history of the factory. Apart from manufacturing new locomotives, the Pakistan Locomotive Factory has also successfully rehabilitated five diesel-electric locomotives of GRU-20 Type and manufactured other various spares/components for railway maintenance divisions and rehabilitation projects.
Gauge
Pakistan Railways still suffers from a mixture of gauges, and , but this is being gradually tackled by convertingGauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
the narrow gauge lines to broad gauge
Indian gauge
Indian gauge is a track gauge commonly used in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Argentina and Chile. It is also the gauge that is used on BART , in northern California.- Scotland :...
, with little narrow gauge remaining.
Accidents
- Sukkur rail disasterSukkur rail disasterThe Sukkur rail disaster occurred on January 4, 1990 in the village of Sangi near Sukkur in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. 307 people were killed, making it Pakistan's worst rail disaster....
- The Sukkur rail disaster occurred on January 4, 1990 in the village of Sangi near SukkurSukkurSukkur, or Sakharu , formerly Aror and Bakar, is the third largest city of Sindh province, situated on the west bank of Indus River in Pakistan in Sukkur District. However, the word Sakharu in Sindhi means "superior", which the spelling of the city's name in Sindhi suggests is the origin of the...
in the Sindh Province of Pakistan. 307 people were killed making it Pakistan's worst rail disaster. The train (Bahaudddin Zakaria Express) concerned was on a 500 miles (804.7 km) overnight run from MultanMultanMultan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
to KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
and was carrying many more passengers in its 16 carriages than its 1408 seat capacity. It was supposed to pass straight through the village of Sangi but incorrectly set points sent it into a siding where it collided with an empty 67-car freight train at a speed of at least 35 mph.
- The Sukkur rail disaster occurred on January 4, 1990 in the village of Sangi near Sukkur
- Ghotki train crash
- In its worst accident in recent years, 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 GhotkiGhotkiGhotki Ghotki is the capital of Ghotki District in northern Sindh, Pakistan. It was the site of the July 13, 2005, Ghotki rail crash. The town is located at 28°1'0N 69°19'0E with an altitude of 72 metres ....
, and the Tezgam Express travelling in the opposite direction hit several of the derailed carriages. According to officials, the conductor of the Karachi Express misread a signal.
- In its worst accident in recent years, 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
- Super Parcel Express
- On 21 August 2005, the upcountry Super Parcels Express derailed while crossing the Malir Bridge near Landhi in the Karachi Division. Eight bogieBogieA bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
s were substantially damaged when an axle broke due to over loading. The rail traffic was suspended for 24 hours. All down trains were terminated at Landhi and the rakes and the locos made the turn around from Landhi.
- On 21 August 2005, the upcountry Super Parcels Express derailed while crossing the Malir Bridge near Landhi in the Karachi Division. Eight bogie
- Mehrabpur train derailmentMehrabpur train derailmentThe Mehrabpur derailment was a fatal railway accident that occurred shortly after 02:00 local time on 19 December 2007 near the town of Mehrabpur in the Sindh province of Pakistan.-Incident:...
- On 19 December 2007, the train, Karachi Express, an express service from KarachiKarachiKarachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
to LahoreLahoreLahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, derailed near the town of MehrabpurMehrabpurMehrabpur is a city in the Naushahro Feroze District of Sindh in Pakistan.The city is administratively subdivided into 2 Union Concil....
in the SindhSindhSindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
province of PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. 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.
- On 19 December 2007, the train, Karachi Express, an express service from Karachi
Restructuring
In March 2010, the Pakistani government announced plans to split Pakistan Railways into four privatised businesses; focussed on passenger operations, freight, infrastructure, and manufacturing. In February 2010, "unbundling" was proposed, with various activities being outsourced, privatised, or operated separately. However, complete privatisation has been ruled out.New lines
In 2006 it was announced that a railway line between GwadarGwadar
Gwadar also known as Godar is a developing port city on the southwestern Arabian Sea coast of Pakistan. It is the district headquarters of Gwadar District in Balochistan province and has a population of approximately 50,000.Gwadar is strategically located at the apex of the Arabian Sea and at the...
and Quetta
Quetta
is the largest city and the provincial capital of the Balochistan Province of Pakistan. Known as the "Fruit Garden of Pakistan" due to the diversity of its plant and animal wildlife, Quetta is home to the Hazarganji Chiltan National Park, which contains some of the rarest species of wildlife in the...
will be built and the Bostan-Zhob
Zhob
-Roads:Zhob is 333 kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometers from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part fair nowadays track passing through water streams and almost complete road is metalloid....
narrow-gauge railway line will be converted into broad gauge in 2007 at a cost of US$1.25 billion. Plans to increase train speeds, install more lengths of double track and to convert the country's railways to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
are also currently under way.
Track doubling
The LodhranLodhran
Lodhran is the chief city of Lodhran District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is located on the northern side of River Sutlej.-Administration:...
- Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
- Khanewal
Khanewal
Khanewal is the capital city of Khanewal District in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is notable for being the host city to the second largest train station in Pakistan. Khanewal is located at 30°18'0N 71°56'0E with an altitude of 128 metres and is named after the earliest settlers here who...
line (121 km) was dual-tracked; work began in 2003 and completed on 16-03-2007.
The Khanewal - Raiwind
Raiwind
Raiwind is a town in the Punjab province of Pakistan. It is part of the Nishter Town subdivision of Lahore District and is located at 31°15'16N 74°13'4E with an altitude of 203 metres and lies about 25 km from Lahore, the capital of the Punjab...
line (246 km) is currently being doubled, at a cost of Rs.8.326 billion. The project commenced in July 2005. The section from Khanewal to Sahiwal (119 km) has been opened as Double line section on 17-04-2010. The work of dualization of
railway track from Sahiwal to Okara has completed and Okara to Raiwind Section is in progress and is expected to be completed by December 2011.
The following lines are planned to be doubled:
- Shahdara BaghShahdara BaghShahdara Bagh, is a northern suburb of Lahore, Pakistan. It is situated on the northern side of the Ravi River.Shahdara means Shah and dara means the way of kings. In the 15th century it was the gate entrance of the Lahore and Mughal Emperor...
- LalamusaLalamusaLalamusa is a town in Gujrat District, Punjab, Pakistan. It is geographically located at latitude 32° 42' 0" North of the Equator and longitude 73° 57' 35" East of the Prime Meridian on the Map of the world...
- Total Length 126 km
- Total Cost Rs.14136 million
- Completion Period 03 years from the date of commencement
- Shahdara Bagh - FaisalabadFaisalabadFaisalabad , formerly known as Lyallpur, is the third largest metropolis in Pakistan, the second largest in the province of Punjab after Lahore, and a major industrial center in the heart of Pakistan. Before the foundation of the city in 1880, the area was very thinly populated. The population has...
- Total Length 135 km
- Total Cost Rs.10486 million
- Completion Period 03 years from the date of commencement
- Lalamusa - Chaklala
- Total Length 152 km
- Total Cost Rs.23770 million
- Completion Period 04 years from the date of commencement
- Golra SharifGolra SharifGolra Sharif is a town situated near the Margalla Hills, in the Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan, at about above sea level, from the ancient city of Taxila.Golra Sharif is a shrine of the Sufi Mystic Pir Meher Ali Shah in Islamabad, Pakistan....
- Peshawar Cantt- Total Length 160 km
- Total Cost Rs.19560 million
- Completion Period 04 years from the date of commencement
Electrification
In addition, there are several ongoing expansion plans into Central Asia and electrification of the entire Pakistan Railways, estimated at a worth of about $2 billion over the next five years (from 2005 to 2010).High-speed rail
In 2008, Pakistan Railways announced a plan of the construction of a $1 billion high-speed railway line between PunjabPunjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
and Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
.
International lines
Direct rail connections with China were proposed by Pervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
in 2006.
A container train service from Pakistan to Turkey has been launched.
In spring 2009, a rail link between Quetta and Zahedan
Zahedan
Zahedan is a city in and the capital of Sistan and Baluchestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 552,706, in 109,488 families.-Geography:...
(in Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
) was constructed, allowing Pakistan Railways direct access to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. A gauge changing station
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
was constructed to the standard gauge at Zahedan and the Turkish Lake Van
Lake Van
Lake Van is the largest lake in Turkey, located in the far east of the country in Van district. It is a saline and soda lake, receiving water from numerous small streams that descend from the surrounding mountains. Lake Van is one of the world's largest endorheic lakes . The original outlet from...
train ferry
Train ferry
A train ferry is a ship designed to carry railway vehicles. Typically, one level of the ship is fitted with railway tracks, and the vessel has a door at the front and/or rear to give access to the wharves. In the United States, train ferries are sometimes referred to as "car ferries", as...
and the Marmaray Tunnel under the Bosphorus. It is planned to run container trains and through passenger trains. Pakistan plans to convert the Quetta line to standard gauge eventually.
Karakoram railway
Pakistan awarded a Rs72 million (US$1.2 million) contract to an international consortium to carry out a feasibility study for establishing a rail link with ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to boost trade relations between the two countries.
The study will cover a 750-kilometre section between Havellian and the 4,730-metre-high Khunjerab Pass
Khunjerab Pass
Khunjerab Pass is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan region within the disputed region of Kashmir and on the southwest border of the Xinjiang region of China...
over Mansehra district and the Karakoram Highway
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both...
. Havellian is already linked with the rest of the rail network in Pakistan; the Chinese will lay some 350 km of track within their own territory from Kashgar
Kashgar
Kashgar or Kashi is an oasis city with approximately 350,000 residents in the western part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Kashgar is the administrative centre of Kashgar Prefecture which has an area of 162,000 km² and a population of approximately...
terminus up to the Khunjerab Pass, linking Pakistan with China's rail network, largely following the route of the Karakoram Highway
Karakoram Highway
The Karakoram Highway is the highest paved international road in the world, but at its peak at the China-Pakistan border it is only paved on the Chinese side. It connects China and Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass, at an altitude of as confirmed by both...
.
By expanding its stake in Pakistan's rail sector, China is poised to exploit the country's advantageous geographical position - strategically located at the confluence of South, Central and West Asia.
Beijing's involvement in several rail projects in Pakistan is motivated primarily by commercial considerations, but it also sees distinct advantages for its improved transportation and access to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf states. A reliable network of road and rail links can only ensure China's access to energy-rich central Asia, serving it both commercially and strategically.
In the first week of this month, Pakistan Railways and China's Dong Fang Electric Supply Corp signed an agreement for establishing a rail link between Havellian and Khunjerab. Ingenieurgemeinschaft Lasser-Feizlmayr (ILF), a consortium of consultant engineers from Austria, Germany and Pakistan, is to submit its report to the Ministry of Railways in nine months. It is most likely that the distance between Havellian and Khunjerab will involve the construction of tunnels. The ILF services encompass both the construction of new high-speed railway lines and the modernization of existing lines for standard-gauge and narrow-gauge railways in addition to tunnels.
General cooperation
China is actively involved in the development of Pakistan Railways and for the past five years it has been increasing its stake in the country's communication sector. Pakistan Railways is a state-owned company that provides an important mode of transportation in the furthest corners of the country. It has been a great integrating force and forms the lifeline of the country by catering to its needs for large-scale movement of people. The freight-passenger earnings comprise 50% of the railway's total revenue. Pakistan Railways carries 65 million passengers annually and operates 228 mail, express and passenger trains daily. It introduced new mail and express trains between major terminals from 2003 to 2005.Pakistan Railways has recently entered several agreements with Chinese railway companies for its development. In 2001, Pakistan Railways signed a $91.89 million contract with China National Machinery Import and Export Corp for the manufacture of 175 new high-speed passenger coaches. The project was funded by Exim Bank China on a supplier credit basis. Forty completely built passenger coaches have been received and 105 will be assembled in Pakistan Railways' carriage factory by next December.
These coaches are being used on Pakistan Railways' mail and express trains from Rawalpindi-Lahore-Karachi, Lahore-Faisalabad and Rawalpindi-Quetta. The manufacturing kits for the remaining 30 coaches have also been received and manufacturing is in progress. With 12 already assembled, the project is scheduled to be completed by next month. The passenger coaches are of the latest design and are equipped with disc brakes. The technology transfer for these coaches has been obtained from China's Chang Chun Car Co.
Under an agreement signed with China in 2003, Pakistan Railways purchased 69 locomotives, of which 15 were delivered as completely built units and are in use by Pakistan Railways. The remaining 54 are to be built at Pakistan Railways' locomotive factory. The Chinese locomotives are 37% cheaper than the European locomotives.
Some in Pakistan have been criticizing the faulty locomotives purchased by Pakistan Railways from Dong Fang Electric Corp of China. It is surprising that last year, Pakistan Railways decided to purchase 45 more 2,000-3,000-horsepower locomotives from the same company. The company is willing to redesign the already-delivered 30 locomotives of the original order, such that the underframe is strengthened and the weight reduced to less than 140 tons. Last year, as a result of an open bidding, a Chinese company, Beijing Research and Design Institute, is committed to providing 300 rail cars to Pakistan Railways.
Under another agreement signed in 2004 with China National Machinery and Equipment Group, the Chinese company is to undertake the construction of Corridor 1 of a light-rail mass-transit system for Karachi that is intended to serve 4 million commuters. The project will cost about $568 million and take four and a half years to complete. The contract has been awarded on a build-operate-transfer basis and comprises five corridors.
Pakistan signed a series of agreements with China during the past three years to enhance the capability of its railway system. Under an agreement signed between Pakistan and China Railway, a Chinese company will provide 1,300 freight cars to Pakistan Railways, of which 420 will be manufactured in China and the remaining 880 will be produced at the Moghalpura railway workshops in Lahore.
Under another project, 450 passenger coaches will be rehabilitated at an estimated cost of Rs2.14 billion. The project also includes the conversion of 40 coaches into air-conditioned cars and the conversion of 10 power vans. Furthermore, there is a provision of 100 new high-speed bogies, 30 of which will be imported from China, while 70 will be manufactured locally on a transfer-of-technology basis. Under a separate agreement, 175 new passenger coaches are being purchased from China.
As part of a $100 million agreement signed between Pakistan and China in November 2001, China is to export 69 modern locomotive engines to Pakistan to modernize Pakistan's railway fleet. The first eight engines have been completed and are ready for shipment to Karachi. The new engines consume less fuel than older models and are cheaper to maintain. The main feature of this deal is that the first 15 engines will be manufactured in China and the remainder will be assembled in Pakistan, with spare parts and technology provided by China. Similarly, for a Rs7.2 billion railway project in Sindh province involving laying 78,000 tons of rails, China delivered 64,000 tons to Pakistan Railways.
Gwadar link
As a part of its development plan for its transport and communications network, Pakistan Railways has completed a feasibility study of the Chaman-Kandahar section for laying railway tracks between Pakistan and Turkmenistan through Afghanistan. The feasibility study for cost, engineering and design for the construction of a rail link from Gwadar to the existing rail network in Mastung district in Balochistan has also been finalized. The new link to Gwadar port will open up underdeveloped areas of Balochistan for development. The main aim of the venture is to connect the Central Asian republics with Pakistan Railways' network through Afghanistan.China is going to be the beneficiary of Gwadar's most accessible international trade routes to the Central Asian republics and Xinjiang. By extending its East-West Railway from the Chinese border city of Kashi to Peshawar in Pakistan's northwest, Beijing can receive cargo to and from Gwadar along the shortest route, from Karachi to Peshawar. The rail network could also be used to supply oil from the Persian Gulf to Xinjiang. Pakistan's internal rail network can also provide China with rail access to Iran.
See also
- History of rail transport in PakistanHistory of rail transport in PakistanPakistan has a rich railway heritage spanning almost 200 years which it owes the British. It was in 1847 when the first railway was imagined but it was not until 1861 when it came into existence in the form of the railway built from Karachi to Kotri...
- Karachi Cantonment Railway StationKarachi Cantonment Railway StationKarachi Cantonment Railway Station is one of the principal railway stations in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was earlier known as Frere Street Station. The construction of the station was started in 1896 and was completed in 1898 at a total cost of Rs. 80,000.-Train Services from Karachi Cantonment...
- Karachi Circular RailwayKarachi Circular RailwayKarachi Circular Railway is a revival and proposed Mass Rapid Transit System for Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan with aims to connect several industrial and commercial districts within the city and outlying suburbs. The system will consist of a loop line, encircling the entire city of...
- Khyber Pass RailwayKhyber train safariThe Khyber train safari is a railway route in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. The colonial era railway route has been described as "a journey into time and history". It consists of a train pulled by two vintage steam locomotives built in 1920s that takes passengers through breathtaking and...
- Lahore Railway StationLahore Railway StationThe Lahore Railway Station in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan was built by British colonists between 1859-1860 at the cost of half a million Rupees. It is of typical grand British architecture in South Asia during the British Raj period...
- Link to Iran
- List of named passenger trains of Pakistan
- Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)Ministry of Railways (Pakistan)The Ministry of Railway is responsible for overall control of Pakistan Railways as well as to guide the overall policy. There are four Directorates in this Division namely:* Administrative Directorate,* Technical Directorate,* Planning Directorate, and...
- Transport in PakistanTransport in PakistanTransportation in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people. Construction of new airports, roads, and railway lines have led to an employment boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network and railway network...
- Railway stations in PakistanRailway stations in Pakistan- Punjab :* Lahore Railway Station* Rawalpindi Railway Station* Multan Railway Station* Faisalabad Railway Station* Sialkot Junction* Gujar Khan Railway Station* Jhang Railway Station* Chiniot Railway Station* Lalamusa Railway Station...