Pros and Cons of travelling by Pakistan Railways

 

I travel frequently from Karachi to Lahore and vice versa. I always prefer the train over the bus for long routes. Karachi and Lahore have distance of more than 1000KMs. I personally prefer train for long routes mainly because I can move and lie down freely in train. At night, while traveling most of the distance is covered while sleeping. In this article, I will share some of the pros and cons of traveling with Pakistan Railways based on my experience over the past years.

 

PROS

• Train coach is much bigger and spacious than any vehicle on the road. You can move freely.
• Train coach is equipped with a spacious berth where you can sit and sleep freely.
• Train coach has a toilet facility at both ends.
• While traveling by train you will see some of the beautiful landscapes around the country.
• You can carry a lot more luggage than any other available modes of transportation like Buses, Airplanes. Moreover, If you are shifting from one city to another you can take all your luggage along with you with minor charges.
• Thanks to the Pakistan Railway's mobile app and web app, you can book your tickets online from the comfort of your home.
• Pakistan Railways tickets are a lot cheaper than any other mode of transportation in the country.
• Pakistan Railways Police provide security to the passengers throughout the journey.

 

CONS

• A confession, trains of Pakistan Railways never arrive timely on the destination even if it is departed timely. I heard people saying if its late an hour or 2 then it is considered to be on time 🙁
• Toilet facility is not neat and clean on some of the trains. This problem is mostly faced by the economy class passengers.
• The condition of the track is worst at some of the points. Mainly in the interior Sindh.
• If you travel in the economy class you will surely get tired of the noise.
• You have to be attentive throughout your journey otherwise you might lose your belongings.
• If you want to file a complaint, you will find yourself lost. Mainly because the process is nontrivial. Even if you get involved in the process you might say let it go.

 

TIPS:

• Try to use the mobile account for payment like Easy Paisa and Jazz cash instead of payment through a card. If you pay with a mobile account then in case of cancellation you will get the refund amount in a day or 2. In the other case, you have to wait for almost 20 days. I have personally experienced this situation.

• If you are looking for the lower class AC then try to book the berths by skipping the first cabin from both ends. Do you want to know why? Don't take my advice just experience it 🤣

 

I am attaching some random shots taken while traveling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy traveling, Stay safe :)

 

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