President Alvi to inaugurate local express train service for Karachi on Oct 31

E-Paper | October 01, 2026

President Alvi to inaugurate local express train service for Karachi on Oct 31

Fahad Chaudhry Published October 26, 2018

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid speaking to the media on Friday. — DawnNewsTV

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President Arif Alvi will inaugurate an express train service for Karachi on Oct 31 as Pakistan Railways (PR) sets its sights on developing railways in Sindh.

Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid, without specifying the name of the train, said it would begin operating on Nov 1 and would run between Dhabeji, Landhi and Karachi.

After the express train is up and running, Rashid said that a shuttle train running between Karachi and Hyderabad would be launched.

The railways minister said the new express train service would be their sixth launch in 60 days.

Rashid, while speaking to the media, said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had promised a local train for labourers in Karachi and that promise would now be fulfilled.

He said that after developing railways in Mianwali and Lahore, and work on the Sukkur Express, Pakistan Railways was now turning its attention to Sindh.

Rashid said that the target of providing 10 trains and 15 freight trains within 100 days would be achieved, and that 10,000 unemployed individuals would also be given jobs on the basis of merit.

He added that the Pakistan Railways deficit would be eliminated within a year.

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Babar Hussain

Oct 26, 2018 12:49pm

This is a very good initiative to have local trains to ease the vehicular traffic and cost effective for labourers who have to travel daily.

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ARIF

Oct 26, 2018 12:51pm

Maintaining the service without losses will be a challenge.

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BAXAR

Oct 26, 2018 12:58pm

@ARIF "Maintaining the service without losses will be a challenge." Generally, major part of losses are intentional. If there is no intention of making losses, most of the projects are viable.

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Shah

Oct 26, 2018 12:59pm

Motorways and the Lahore Metro have been huge loss making projects. Low cost public transport is the future.

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BAXAR

Oct 26, 2018 01:19pm

@Shah "Motorways and the Lahore Metro have been huge loss making projects. Low cost public transport is the future." They were designed to make huge losses. Public transport can never be high cost, no developed country has ever made a high cost public transport system for themselves. When they make it, it is to showcase them to sell to other countries.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Oct 26, 2018 01:26pm

Old is gold. Well done Sheikh Sahab. You are indeed showing by solid and tangible actions how to fulfill your promises made to the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan during your election campaign. Keep it up and hang on tough.

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ali ahmed

Oct 26, 2018 01:34pm

Will he take notice for converting Drigh road station to petrol pump?

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ZAK

Oct 26, 2018 01:37pm

First upgrade them like in the west, no need to run these old and disturbing trains which will cause more disruption and overall look very outdated.

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Masroor

Oct 26, 2018 01:38pm

Shiekh Rashid congesting the traffic on the tracks by announcing new trains every fortnight without upgradation of existing tracks and signaling system، excessive ،trains will cause unnecssary delays in train timings of other trains.

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M. Saeed

Oct 26, 2018 01:45pm

@BAXAR: Why not Ghora train? Sir Ganga Ram had built very low cost horse driven rail trams in his hometown Gangapur, linking it to the nearest railway station and was called Ghora Tram. It remain in operation for 112 years, remained out of service for about 10 years and has recently been restarted.

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Saood

Oct 26, 2018 01:52pm

Railway is getting worse.previous minister was doing a good job

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Saood

Oct 26, 2018 01:55pm

But you promised to eliminate the losses in 100 days than 120 days.now a year.incompetence at its best.corruption to the core

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Mohsin

Oct 26, 2018 01:59pm

The railway's technical people ought to check the integrity of the railway tracks! This minister's lack of technical know-how and politcal-man-ship has already manufactured a fatal disaster on Mianwali railway track!

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kaspar

Oct 26, 2018 02:00pm

What is needed is frequent local train service between Karachi city and Landhi or at most to Pipri and between Karachi city and Malir Cantt. This would take much traffic load off the roads and also compensate to some extent for the paucity of buses on these routes.

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Engineer X

Oct 26, 2018 02:01pm

@Masroor Right on the money, SR lacks technical knowledge; his half-baked ideas may cause more accidents in future!

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khalifa

Oct 26, 2018 02:04pm

Good move. This has been long proposed by many urban planners for the city

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zakir rashid

Oct 26, 2018 02:04pm

How would you ensure that that commuters will buy the tickets.Otherwise it would be an exercise in futility. Interestingly the re introduced Mehran Express running between Karachi City and Mirpur Khas has been discontinued. It is possible that the same train would be re-reintroduced under a new name.

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S.H. Zaidi

Oct 26, 2018 02:11pm

Local trains are the need of the hour in Karachi, but they should be reasonably frequent. If possible, two tracks dedicated to local trains must be laid between Karachi Cantt and Pipri to ease the main line traffic in this section. This requires neither CPEC nor involvement of China. Pak Railway can do it on its own. These lines can also be used for goods trains whenever necessary. The local trains (plus revival of KCR) can also obviate the need for the extremely costly BRT Red line and other such lines which are an extremely costly and unwieldy solution to solve the problem of public transport.

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iffi

Oct 26, 2018 02:15pm

Great initiative ... well done govt PTI

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Danish

Oct 26, 2018 02:38pm

Will this local train service will solve the Local Karachi traffic problems. ? KARACHI need local train service like used to have circular railway which was stopped by local transport mafia..

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NHM

Oct 26, 2018 02:39pm

These trains have not been successful in the past . People do not wish to ride on circular trains as the bus option is much more convenient . Must think outside the box if this mode of transport is to be made popular Government must look into the tram transport model in the city of Casablanca Morocco , it’s a city with more or less the same issues as Karachi , it could be a model to follow

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BAXAR

Oct 26, 2018 02:48pm

@S.H. Zaidi "two tracks dedicated to local trains must be laid between Karachi Cantt and Pipri to ease the main line traffic in this section." It would be a good Idea to shift the passenger Karachi terminal to Pipri, and to keep Kemari to Piprit for local and freight trains only and upgrade the local trains and stations. That will ease the unnecessary traffic to Cant and City stations.

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Salim Khan

Oct 26, 2018 03:12pm

The express train can have stops from Pipri to Landhi to Malir Halt to Drig road and Karachi Cantt. This will ease congestion on Shara-e-Faisal.

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Haider

Oct 26, 2018 03:13pm

What about KCR project proposed earlier in collaboration with Japan? Proposals are developed but eradicated without a reason. KCR was on CPEC I guess. Any progress?

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HayRee

Oct 26, 2018 03:16pm

It would be best to keep the train running for few months as the masses will take time to leave local transport and rely on the train. Momentum will build in time.

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Tahir

Oct 26, 2018 03:16pm

First of all to educate local population to use train and benefit of using the train. Our people are so frusted with daily small small difficulties that they wwant to findout the easiest way to commute whether its expensive or not.

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Jamal Kharashog

Oct 26, 2018 03:24pm

What happened to orange train???

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Pakistani1

Oct 26, 2018 03:59pm

This is a good initiative to revive local trains after several decades. Where can I find a list of stations the local train will serve? What will it cost? Timings?

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SajjadX

Oct 26, 2018 04:07pm

On one side they are saying they ate introducing new trains and then they are also reporting bogeys being reduced in some trains. What is going on? Also, there was already an express train between Lahore and Karachi. What is the need to start a new train?

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Mansur Ul Haque

Oct 26, 2018 04:15pm

Circular railway route is still not complete. I believe people have constructed houses on the railway line. It is time that all encroachment must be removed. When circular railway will be completely work it will reduce at least at least ten percent traffic on road.

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Iftikhar Husain

Oct 26, 2018 04:23pm

Good work by railway minister.

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Omer

Oct 26, 2018 04:24pm

A good news for Karachi's citizens. It will help decreasing traffic jams.

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Naved

Oct 26, 2018 04:26pm

Well done. Keep it up. Please show real change on ground.

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Ali

Oct 26, 2018 05:57pm

Well done Sheikh Rashid and PTI. Good days ahead InshaAllah

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Shamshad

Oct 26, 2018 06:05pm

We need ministers like Sh Rasheed who is enthusiastic to do something from the day one. If Sh Rasheed could restore Karachi Circular Railways his name would be written in golden words at least in Karachi.

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Jamal Ahmed

Oct 26, 2018 06:07pm

Merely an express train from Pipri to Landhi will never solve transportation problems to Karachi. We need a full fledged Overhead and Underground trains system in Karachi. Please work on this plan.

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Pervez

Oct 26, 2018 06:09pm

Imran Khan can hold his feet in Karachi permanently if he solves major problems of Karachi like transportation, water, solid waste disposal and proper census.

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Philosopher (From Japan)

Oct 26, 2018 07:24pm

Please check the revenue side of local trains. I observe a lot of people get a free ride on local trains.

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Truth Sayer

Oct 26, 2018 07:50pm

Excellent work

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Aman

Oct 26, 2018 08:01pm

great job, love it

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amir

Oct 26, 2018 08:10pm

a train that can carry cars along with passengers needs to be introduced. People travelling on holidays either drive or get restricted in movement. this would increase people opting for train than plane

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Fahim

Oct 26, 2018 08:17pm

In order to get proper revenue form local trains all train stations must be constructed in a way that passenger enter from the main gate and purchase tickets rather than entering from outside sideways and jump into train illegally.

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SHAH S

Oct 26, 2018 08:29pm

@BAXAR : Pls say openly... It is Theft .. which is in the nature

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Hasnain

Oct 26, 2018 08:30pm

Great Sheikh Rasheed Sahib for restoring the long awaited facility. The Corrupt and Criminal leadership has done nothing but brought misery to people of Karachi.

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Foreign Observer

Oct 26, 2018 08:33pm

What about the revival of KCR? I guess, PPP, land mafia, and encroachers won't let it happen. PPP is taking Sindh into deepest and darkest stone age for its own benefit.

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Hasnain

Oct 26, 2018 08:34pm

@Saood previous two government of PPP and Nawaz was nothing but shameful corrupt and criminal.

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shak

Oct 26, 2018 08:45pm

As per local statistic If you go to New Karachi the Industrial plot is 2400 yards the owner will say 2700 because every plots owner has added 300 yards of Railways Land I personally know these plots

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BAXAR

Oct 26, 2018 08:51pm

@SHAH S "Pls say openly... It is Theft .. which is in the nature" I was just trying to explain how the theft works technically.!!!

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Ash2000

Oct 26, 2018 09:55pm

President inaugurating a local train?

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Syed I Rafiq

Oct 26, 2018 10:18pm

Sheikh Sahab, please revive the Karachi circular train.

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M S Alvi

Oct 27, 2018 03:20am

@Saood Why do you say that without a proof; are you crazy?

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Magnanimous approach

Oct 27, 2018 03:55am

While appreciating Sheikh Rasheed Minister Railways, must thank President Alvi for taking interest about transport facilities to Karachiiites. It would be perfect if a circular railway be revived, besides Karachi needs underground metro railway system, Japan is ready to help, than there should be no delay in blessing, please don’t wait for tomorrow began the initiative today.

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Safire Ahmad Siddiqui

Oct 27, 2018 07:27am

It is good to start various trains but our Railway Minister does not say a word to revive KCR or Karachi Circular Railway.This railway if revived will solve 50% problem of Mass Transit system of Karachi.This will be a solid contribution by Sheikh Rashid for the people of Karachi.

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tahir

Oct 27, 2018 08:44am

ok great with circular railway. would have been much cheaper and efficient to re introduce the old British tram system in Karachi as a test trail. Problem with circular concept is once people reach the station , how do they go to work from the station.

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BAXAR

Oct 27, 2018 12:23pm

@tahir " Problem with circular concept is once people reach the station , how do they go to work from the station." The concept is to link major concentration points with a rapid system, not every office or factory. The KCR can connect Steel Mills/ Port Qasim, Landhi, Malir, Gulistan e Johar, NIPA, Civic Center, Liaqatabad, Board Office, SITE, City, and Shahrae Faisal, Cant, Kemari. From these points, it is easy to connect with small public vehicle. Most important is to make pedestrian traffic easy, for that it is necessary to end encroachments on pedestrian way and to discipline the road traffic.

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CHELFLS

Oct 27, 2018 05:33pm

The railways minister said the new express train service would be their sixth launch in 60 days. Wow then 36 in a year and 180 such launches in 5 years. Really progressive faster than any other country.

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shahid

Oct 27, 2018 09:02pm

@ZAK why do you oppose something constructive? It is hard for me to understand that any body in right frame of mind will oppose it.

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shahid

Oct 27, 2018 09:08pm

@NHM Don't oppose any thing good coming.There is no comparison between Casablanca and Karachi. Karachi's traffic problems and transportation facility is worst in the world.Any thing positive is good.It is just the begenining

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Sameer

Oct 27, 2018 10:30pm

@Jamal Ahmed Only wise comment majority others appreciating this as train will be run from city station till pipri

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