The Pakistan Railway administration has officially issued the winter timetable, which will come into effect on October 15, 2024.
According to the updated schedule issued on Friday, several changes have been made to the stopovers of various trains across the country.
As per the new timetable, the stopovers of three up and down trains at specific stations have now been made permanent. These include Pakistan Express (45Up/46Dn) at Chak Jhumra, Ghouri Express (113Up/114Dn) at Farooqabad, and Mehran Express (149Up/150Dn) at Jhimpir Railway Station.
Conversely, the stops of two trains, Bahauddin Zakariya Express (25Up/26Dn) at Feroza Railway Station and Awam Express (14Dn/13Up) at both Jung Shahi and Jhimpir Railway Stations have been canceled.
In addition to these adjustments, the stop durations for Khyber Mail (1Up/2Dn) at Nowshera, Jehangira, and Multan Railway Stations, as well as for Rehman Baba Express (47Up/48Dn) at Attock City Railway Station, have been extended.
Furthermore, the Sir Syed Express (35Up/36Dn), which operates between Rawalpindi and Karachi, has been restored under the new schedule. The route of the Mohenjo-Daro Passenger (213Up/214Dn), which previously ran between Kotri and Rohri via Dadu, has now been extended to Karachi City.
Balochistan
Train services from Quetta to other parts of the country have been restored after 46 days following the repair of the railway bridge in Bolan, which was destroyed in a terrorist attack on August 26 this month.
The Jaffar Express has left Quetta for Peshawar after a 46-day suspension. The Divisional Superintendent of Railways, Imran Hayat, said that train services were restored after one and half months, with the damaged bridge being rebuilt.
Talking to media, DS Quetta said the suspension of train service caused Rs 1.5 million loss to the Pakistan Railways.
He also informed that the Bolan Mail from Karachi is also scheduled to depart for Quetta today, with enhanced security measures in place.
Passengers expressed joy over the restoration of the service, noting that it is a relief after facing significant challenges during the disruption.
The train service was halted due to the destruction of the railway bridge at Dozan area by terrorists. The Pakistan Railways team repaired the damaged bridge in just one and a half month.
Authorities have assured that foolproof security arrangements have been put in place to ensure the safety of passengers.
On August 26, terrorists launched coordinated attacks on civilians and government properties across several districts in Balochistan.