Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line کراچی–پشاور مرکزی راه آهن خط
Overview
Other name(s)	Main Line 1 ML-1[1]
Native name	کراچی–پشاور مرکزی راه آهن خط
Termini	Karachi City or Kiamari Peshawar Cantonment
Stations	184
Operation
Owner	Pakistan Railways
Operator(s)	Pakistan Railways
Technical
Line length	1,687 km (1,048 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	105 km/h (65 mph) (Current) 160 km/h (99 mph) (Proposed)[2]
Route map km 0 Kiamari 5 Karachi City 9 Karachi Cantt -- Departure Yard 19 Drigh Road 21 Drigh Colony 24 Malir Colony 26 Malir -- Malir Cantonment 29 Landhi Junction Landhi—Korangi Branch Line 35 Jummah Goth 43 Bin Qasim 45 Badal Nala 48 Marshalling Yard Pipri 51 Gaddar 61 Dabheji Stream 79 Ran Pethani 91 Jungshahi 108 Braudabad 124 Jhimpir Near Keenjhar Lake 143 Meting 164 Bholari 174 Kotri Junction Kotri–Attock Railway Line to Sehwan, Larkana Junction, Jacobabad Junction River Indus 183 Hyderabad Junction Hyderabad-Badin Branch Line 190 Detha Hyderabad-Khokhrapar Branch Line 205 Allahdino Sand 213 Palijani 221 Oderolal 228 Wahab Shah 237 Tando Adam Junction 246 Jalal Marri 256 Shahdadpur 270 Lundo 280 Sarhari 298 Nawabshah 311 Bucheri 323 Daur 337 Bandhi 348 Kot Lalloo 358 Pad Idan Junction 371 Bhiria Road 384 Lakha Road 398 Mehrabpur Junction 411 Setharja 420 Ranipur Riyasat 427 Gambat -- Pir Katpar 442 Tando Mustikhan 456 Khairpur 467 Begmanji Nara Canal Rohri–Chaman Railway Line to Sukkur, Sibi, Quetta 481 Rohri Junction 489 Mando Dairo 501 Sangi 513 Pano Akil 525 Mahesar 539 Ghotki 550 Sarhad 564 Mirpur Mathelo 578 Daharki 596 Reti 614 Walhar 624 Machi Goth Sindh Punjab Provincial Border 632 Sadikabad 643 Adam Sahaba 654 Rahim Yar Khan 666 Tarinda 675 Kot Samaba 685 Sahja 696 Khanpur Junction 706 Jetha Bhutta 718 Firoza 741 Liaquat Pur 760 Chanigot 771 Kulab 783 Dera Nawab Sahib 798 Mubarakpur 807 Kalanchwala 819 Samasata Junction Samasata-Amruka Branch Line to Hasilpur, Tamewali, Bahawalnagar Jn 831 Bahawalpur River Sutlej Empress Bridge 838 Admwahan km from Lodhran Kiamari 0 847 Lodhran Junction Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line to Vehari,Mandi Burewala, Pakpattan 857 Shahidanwala via Chord 11 858 Shah Nal 863 Rukanpur via Chord 25 872 Gilawala 878 Dunyapur via Chord 36 883 Zarif Shaheed 889 Kutabpur via Chord 48 895 Shujabad 56 903 Chak 905 Jahania via Chord Sher Shah–Kot Addu Branch Line to Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu Junction 72 919 Sher Shah Junction 922 Jangal Mariala via Chord 78 925 Muzaffarabad 929 Mehar Shah via Chord 87 934 Multan Cantt -- Multan City 98 945 Piran Ghaib 108 955 Tatipur Closed 115 962 Riazabad 120 967 Kot Abbas Shaheed Closed 127 974 Shamkote 938 136 983 Khanewal Junction 942 Dera Taj 953 Rajput Nagar 959 Kacha Khuh 969 Mohsinwal 981 Mian Channun 999 Kassowal 1015 Chichawatni 1036 Harappa -- Mirdad Muafi 1056 Sahiwal -- Nur Muhammad Mokal Closed 1066 Yousafwala -- Qadirabad Closed 1081 Okara Cantt 1093 Okara 1102 Kissan 1110 Renala Khurd 1126 Habibabad 1133 Sehjowal Closed 1139 Pattoki -- Wan Adhan Closed BS-Link Canal 1152 Changa Manga 1160 Bhoe Asal Closed 1168 Kot Radha Kishan 1175 Prem Nagar 1183 Raiwind Junction Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line to Kasur Junction 1192 Jia Bagga Hudiara Drain 1201 Kana Kacha Closed 1208 Kot Lakhpat 1212 Walton 1218 Lahore Cantt Lahore–Wagah Branch Line 1223 Lahore Junction 1225 Badami Bagh 1230 Shahdara Bagh Junction Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line to Qila Sheikhupura Junction Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line to Narowal Junction 1240 Kala Shah Kaku 1249 Muridke 1259 Sadhoke 1269 Kamoke 1278 Eminabad 1280 Theri Sansi Closed Upper Chenab Canal 1290 Gujranwala City 1291 Gujranwala 1299 Gujranwala Cantt 1306 Ghakkhar Mandi 1315 Dhaunkal Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line 1322 Wazirabad Junction River Chenab 1325 Haripur Band 1336 Gujrat 1346 Deona Juliani Shorkot–Lalamusa railway line Sargodha Junction, Jhang 1355 Lala Musa Junction 1362 Chak Pirana 1365 Kharian Cantt 1371 Kharian 1381 Choa Kariala Upper Jhelum Canal 1365 Serai Alamgir River Jhelum 1389 Jhelum 1394 Kala Gujran 1401 Kaluwal 1407 Dina 1413 Ratial 1420 Domeli 1426 Bakrala 1431 Tarki 1439 Sohawa 1449 Missa Keswal 1458 Gujar Khan 1465 Ghungrila 1472 Mandra Junction Mandra—Bhoun railway line to Chakwal 1481 Kaliamawan 1486 Mankiala 1496 Sihala River Soan River Korang 1507 Chaklala 1512 Rawalpindi 1515 Nur (Rawalpindi) 1522 Madina-Tul-Hijjaj 1527 Golra Sharif Junction Museum Golra Sharif–Kohat Cantt Section to Basal Junction, Jand Junction 1537 Sangjani 1544 Taxila Cantt Junction Taxila–Khunjerab Railway Line to Havelian 1547 Wah Cantt 1552 Budho 1556 Wah 1560 Hasan Abdal 1570 Burhan 1579 Faqirabad 1587 Sanjwal 1595 Attock City Junction Attock—Kotri Railway Line 1605 Rumian 1612 Attock Khurd Punjab KP Provincial Border River Indus 1616 Khairabad Kund 1624 Jahangira Road 1630 Akora Khattak 1638 Hayat Sher Pao Shaheed 1643 Nowshera Junction Nowshera—Dargai branch Line to Risalpur, Mardan JN, Takht-I-Bhai 1650 Khushhal Kot 1653 Pir Piai 1664 Pabbi 1669 Taru Jabba 1674 Nasarpur 1682 Peshawar City 1687 Peshawar Cantt

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line (Urdu:کراچی–پشاور مرکزی راه آهن خط) (also referred to as Main Line 1 or ML-1) is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line begins from Karachi City station or Kiamari station and ends at Peshawar Cantonment Station. The total length of this railway line is 1,687 kilometers (1,048 mi). There are 184 railway stations from Kiamari to Peshawar Cantonment on this line.^[3] The line serves as the main passenger and freight line of the country. 75% of the country’s cargo and passenger traffic uses the line. The line is currently undergoing an six-year ₨886.68 billion (US$8.4 billion) upgrade and renovation as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with average rail speeds expected be doubled to 160 kilometers per hour upon completion.^[4]

History

Pakistan Railways network map with Main Line 1 shown in black

The present-day Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line was built as a patchwork of different railways during the 19th century. The present day line consists of the following historic sections built between 1861 to 1900:

• Karachi–Kotri section, opened in 1861 (Kotri Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1899)
• Kotri–Rohri section, opened in 1900
• Rohri–Multan section, opened in 1879 (Empress Bridge (near Bahawalpur) over the Sutlej River, opened in 1878)
• Multan–Lahore section, opened in 1861
• Lahore–Peshawar section, opened in 1876 (Attock Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1883)

Early development

The Scinde Railway was constructed in 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Karachi and Kotri.^[5][6] Work on the line had commenced in April 1858 and was the first railway line for public use in the region.^[7] Following the completion of the line, the Indus Steam Flotilla began docking in Kotri (instead of Karachi) from Multan.^[8] The Punjab Railway was constructed and inaugurated in late 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Multan and Lahore, and later extended to Amritsar.^[5][6][9] Thus the travel time between Sindh and Punjab was greatly reduced together with the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla and Punjab Railways; what normally took 40 days to travel between Karachi and Lahore now took 48 hours to transport passengers and cargo.

Mergers & expansion

In 1870, the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway was formed from the incorporation of the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla, Punjab Railway and Delhi Railway companies in order to increase efficiency of passenger and cargo transport between Sindh and Punjab.^[10] However, the rail gap between Kotri and Multan was considered a hassle as the Indus River and Sutlej River were major obstacles to cross at the time. In 1871, the Indus Valley State Railway was inaugurated and construction began on extending the railway line from Multan south towards Bahawalpur (crossing the Sutlej River) and on wards to Rohri. In 1876, the Punjab Northern State Railway was constructed between Lahore and Peshawar and in 1883 the Attock Bridge over the Indus River was opened.^[11] In 1878, the Empress Bridge over the Sutlej River was opened and in 1879 the Indus Valley State Railway reached Rohri. From Rohri, a steam ferry would transport eight rail carriages at a time across the Indus between Rohri and Sukkur. This was found to be cumbersome and time-consuming. In 1889, the Lansdowne Bridge between Rohri and Sukkar was opened and in 1893, work on the Kotri Bridge commenced. It was only in 1900 that the section between Rohri and Kotri was completed.^[12][13][14] In 1885, all the companies were merged together to form the North Western State Railway.

Stations

The stations on this line are as follows:

References

Railway lines in Pakistan
Main lines   Karachi–Peshawar Line (ML1)   Kotri–Attock Line (ML2)   Rohri–Chaman Line (ML3)   Quetta–Taftan Line (ML4)   Taxila–Khunjerab Line (ML5) (Proposed)
Branch lines Hyderabad–Badin Branch Line Hyderabad–Khokhrapar Branch Line Bahawalnagar–Fort Abbas Branch Line Samasata–Amruka Branch Line Sher Shah–Kot Addu Branch Line Lodhran–Khanewal Branch Line Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line Shorkot–Sheikhupura Branch Line Shorkot–Lalamusa Branch Line Golra Sharif–Kohat Branch Line Nowshera–Dargai Railway Bannu–Tank Branch Line Daud Khel–Lakki Marwat Branch Line Malakwal–Khushab Branch Line Sangla Hill–Kundian Branch Line Lahore–Wagah Branch Line Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line
Urban railways Peshawar Circular Railway Karachi Circular Railway
Proposed or under construction Karachi–Gwadar Railway Line (Makran Coastal Railway) Mandra–Bhaun Railway Gwadar–Mastung Branch Line Basima–Jacobabad Branch Line Zhob Valley Railway Islamabad–Muzaffarabad Branch Line
Tourist and heritage railways Changa Manga Forestry Railway Dandot Light Railway Kandahar State Railway Khanpur–Chachran Railway Khewra Salt Mines Railway Khyber Pass Railway Larkana–Jacobabad Light Railway Mirpur Khas–Nawabshah Railway