The ''Allama Iqbal Express'' ( ur, ) is a
passenger train
A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self pr ...
operated daily by
Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger servi ...
between
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
and
Sialkot
Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...
, two important industrial hubs of Pakistan. The trip takes approximately 25 hours and 30 minutes to cover a published distance of , traveling along the
Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line,
Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line
Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line ( ur, ) is one of several branch rail lines in Pakistan. It is operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line runs from Shahdara Bagh Junction station to Narowal Junction, extending to Narowal Jun ...
and
Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line
Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line ( ur, ) is one of several branch lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line originally runs from Wazirabad Junction station to Narowal Junction station. The total length of this ...
.
History
The Allama Iqbal Express is one of the oldest express trains of Pakistan, beginning in 1940 as the ''Shaheen Express'' from
Karachi
Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...
to
Sialkot
Sialkot ( ur, ) is a city located in Punjab, Pakistan. It is the capital of Sialkot District and the 13th most populous city in Pakistan. The boundaries of Sialkot are joined with Jammu (the winter capital of Indian administered Jammu and Ka ...
via
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur ( Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pak ...
. In 1985, Shaheen Express was renamed to Allama Iqbal Express, in honor of Pakistan's famous poet Dr.
Muhammad Iqbal
Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( ur, ; 9 November 187721 April 1938), was a South Asian Muslim writer, philosopher, Quote: "In Persian, ... he published six volumes of mainly long poems between 1915 and 1936, ... more or less complete works on philoso ...
.
Route
In 1998, the Allama Iqbal Express was redirected via
Wazirabad Junction to
Sialkot Junction
Sialkot Junction railway station ( ur, , pa, ) is the main railway station in Sialkot on the Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line.
History
Sialkot Junction station was opened in 1880, following the inauguration of the Sialkot–Jammu Branch Line. ...
. In 2004, it was again redirected to the current route via
Narowal Junction.
*
Karachi Cantonment–
Shahdara Bagh Junction via ''
Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line''
*
Shahdara Bagh Junction–
Narowal Junction via ''
Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line
Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line ( ur, ) is one of several branch rail lines in Pakistan. It is operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line runs from Shahdara Bagh Junction station to Narowal Junction, extending to Narowal Jun ...
''
*
Narowal Junction–
Sialkot Junction via ''
Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line
Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line ( ur, ) is one of several branch lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line originally runs from Wazirabad Junction station to Narowal Junction station. The total length of this ...
''
Station stops
Equipment
Allama Iqbal Express consists of 16 coaches (all economy class accommodation), one power van and one luggage van.
See also
*
Pakistan Railways
Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger servi ...
References
Named passenger trains of Pakistan
Passenger trains in Pakistan
Transport in Sialkot
{{Pakistan-transport-stub