Karakoram Express (Urdu: قراقرم ایکسپریس) is a passenger train operated daily by Pakistan Railways between Karachi and Lahore.[1] The trip takes approximately 17 hours and 45 minutes to cover a published distance of 1,241 kilometres (771 mi), traveling along a stretch of the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line, Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line and Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line.[1] The train is named after the famous Karakoram mountain range of northern Pakistan.
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| Overview | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city rail | ||||
| First service | 14 August 2002 | ||||
| Current operator(s) | Pakistan Railways | ||||
| Route | |||||
| Termini | Karachi Cantonment Lahore Junction | ||||
| Stops | 5 | ||||
| Distance travelled | 1,241 kilometres (771 mi) | ||||
| Average journey time | 17 hours, 45 minutes | ||||
| Service frequency | Daily | ||||
| Train number(s) | 41UP (Karachi→Lahore) 42DN (Lahore→Karachi) | ||||
| On-board services | |||||
| Class(es) | AC Business AC Standard Economy Class | ||||
| Sleeping arrangements | Available | ||||
| Catering facilities | Available | ||||
| Technical | |||||
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) | ||||
| Track owner(s) | Pakistan Railways | ||||
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History
editKarakoram Express was inaugurated on 14 August 2002.[2] This was during a period where Pakistan Railways went through several "facelifts" under Pervez Musharraf's government (including Karachi Express, Tezgam and Shalimar Express). Karakoram Express acquired the title of the "fastest train in Pakistan".[3]
Route
edit- Karachi Cantonment–Khanewal Junction via Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line
- Khanewal Junction–Sangla Hill Junction via Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line
- Sangla Hill Junction–Shahdara Bagh Junction via Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line
- Shahdara Bagh Junction–Lahore Junction via Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line
Station stops
editEquipment
editThe train operates 13 economy carriages, 4 AC Business carriages, 1 power van and 1 luggage van.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b Mughal, Owais (29 October 2004). "Pakistan Railway Train Names". irfca.org. Indian Railways Fan Club. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ "Karachi: Karakoram Express train inaugurated". Dawn. 16 August 2002. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ "Karachi: Karakoram Express begins daily operation". Dawn. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ "Train Timings". Pakistan Railways. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- ^ "New coaches in Karakoram Express introduced". Pakistan Observer. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
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