We’ve all seen the classic images of train travel in the South Asian continent with crowded carriages, people leaning out the windows and/or perched on the roof. It doesn’t exactly bode confidence booking the train Islamabad to Karachi!
But truthfully; it’s not like that.
Taking an overnight train from Islamabad to Karachi in Pakistan is certainly an adventure. And there are a few things that are helpful to know before embarking on such a journey…
Here are all the details of booking and traveling by overnight train Islamabad to Karachi, Pakistan.
Buying tickets for the overnight train Islamabad to Karachi
This was our first challenge. We started looking in to options for travel by overnight train in Pakistan a couple of months before we thought we would make the journey. And like many train lines in India it is not possible to book more than one month in advance.
It is technically (‘technically’) possible to book the train online. You need to set up an account with Pakistan Railways for which you need a Pakistan ID document number. Thus if you are a foreigner it won’t work with your own passport number. You will need to ask a local friend to sign up on your behalf using their information…. Not exactly straightforward.
Other options to purchase a ticket for Pakistan Railways are either to wait until you get there and do it the good old-fashioned way at the ticket booth in person at the railway station. Or you can go through a travel agent or ticketing agent based in Pakistan.
- Tip: We booked train tickets through Lost Horizon Tours in Pakistan.
Albeit this wasn’t all that straightforward either. But it did work out (with the support of a bit more research from my end) and Abdul was able to organise tickets for us that were dropped at our hotel in Islamabad before we travelled.
Boarding the train in Islamabad (for Karachi)
This is the first major point you need to note:
- The overnight train Islamabad to Karachi in fact departs from the station in Rawalpindi.
Rawalpindi is often referred to as the ‘sister city’ to Islamabad. Be sure to double check the station name and show it to your hotel or driver just to be sure you are heading for the right place.
Boarding the train in Rawalpindi is straight forward. (Well that was once we got on the correct train!). The check in process is as normal and there are plenty of people to ask about your ticket and which carriage and train you need to be on.
What are the different options of class for travel by train Islamabad to Karachi?
There are seven different classes of train travel on offer in Pakistan:
- ACSL – AC Sleeper
- PC – AC Parlour Car
- ACLZ – AC Business Class
- ACL – AC Standard
- ISL – First Class Sleeper
- EC – Economy Class
- SEC – Second Class
However, not all classes of travel are available on all mainstream train routes. Rather there are usually three or four to choose from.
At the time of our travel by train in Pakistan we understood that the Greenline from Islamabad to Karachi had three options for class of travel:
- Economy Seat
- Economy Berth
- AC Business Class
We booked an AC Business Class cabin (which actually has six berths in).
So what is the Green Line train actually like?
Overall we had a good experience traveling by overnight train in Pakistan. We had previously travelled similar journeys in Bangladesh and many in India and so booked the train journey with increased confidence in South Asian train travel.
And it was a good adventure!
It isn’t a luxurious means of travel (by any means). But people we met were friendly and price-wise it was comparable to four plane tickets in the same direction.
Is it safe to take an overnight train in Pakistan?
People in general seem to love to mention and warn you about safety anywhere in South Asia and travel in Pakistan comes with no exception.
As far as safety and taking an overnight train in Pakistan it is an important consideration. But certainly we all reached the end of our journey on an overnight train from Islamabad to Karachi – so yes, I think the train in Pakistan is safe as long as you take sensible precautions.
As a side note the police and/or tourist police do keep an eye on you…
To the point where they often know where you are (or try to know) at all times. Although we had been forewarned about this, Gavin experienced this firsthand. He briefly hopped off at a station to check how long we were stopping for, and an officer approached him and said outright: “Are you Gavin Steiner?” And showed him a picture on his phone of Gavin’s passport.
He then followed up by asking if everything was alright and if we needed anything. And we then continued our journey south.
A little odd/disturbing/creepy but overall, not further concerning.
How crowded is the overnight train Islamabad to Karachi?
Seats and berths in Business Class are pre-booked and so only a specific number can be purchased. These carriages are not overcrowded.
On some train lines there are spaces in third class for un-reserved seats meaning those carriages can be crowded on the day. But from what we saw, taking an overnight train in Pakistan is not like the dreaded South-Asian train travel images often portrayed!
Are meals included in the price of a ticket?
It was an overnight train Islamabad to Karachi and we had three meals included in the ticket:
- an afternoon snack,
- dinner and
- breakfast.
We actually missed the afternoon snack (I think that might have been our own fault as they were calling out and we presumed they were selling sandwiches).
- Tip: Definitely keep your door slightly open and check what food and vendors are going past!
Dinner was not served until 10pm! (You read that right!). I would recommend stocking up on snacks before your overnight train in Pakistan as we were getting pretty hungry by that time of night…
Gavin leapt off the train at one station near Lahore and with our very kind Pakistani family in the neighboring cabin he got some street-food snacks and chips from a station store.
Breakfast and a basic cup of tea is offered around 06:45am and I have to be honest; we didn’t eat the breakfast. It was stone cold and not looking very appetizing by the time it arrived.
The verdict? Meals are provided but highly recommend you pack some snacks!
Is food available to purchase?
Yes. There are occasional snack carts that come through the aisle. (Sorry to compare to trains in India but the vendors are not as often – and not as vocal – as they are in their nearby neighbour).
But it is possible to find small snacks like chips and chocolate bars on the snack carts. And otherwise, if you are game enough you can ask ahead how long the train will be stopping at a station for and leap on and off to grab something from a vendor there (be quick though!).
It was evening by the time we got to Lahore station and about 20 minutes before vendors boarded the train at the previous stop selling pizza to be collected in upcoming Lahore! At that time we still thought dinner must only be a short while away… (It wasn’t).
- Tip: Stock up on some packaged snacks beforehand so that even if you don’t need them you have the option!
What are the toilets like on an overnight train in Pakistan?
Seriously? As you would imagine.
The toilets (actually it was just a singular toilet in our carriage) function but are extremely basic. There is no toilet paper or soap provided so do plan ahead with that (and a sanitizer would be a great addition to your train pre-packing if you are reading this!).
What linen and bedding is provided on the train Islamabad to Karachi?
Truthfully not very much on this particular train! We asked a few times for sheets and then gave up asking…
There were four pillows with average looking pillowcases in our cabin. And four blankets. (Note that the cabin we booked actually has 6x berths – we booked the entire cabin).
So I’m not sure how many you get if there are six people. But after asking a couple of times about sheets or pillowcases we fast understood they are not offered or provided on this overnight train in Pakistan.
We made do with scarves and travel towels to cover the pillows and had no choice but to use the blankets provided (which looked passable but not immaculate).
And just to add to the drama of bedding and linen on this journey; one of the carriage attendants knocked on our door at 01:30am and asked for a blanket because he was cold! (Not sure what that was about but it gave us a fright and disturbed our so far already-disrupted sleep wondering who would be knocking at that hour of night!).
What to pack?
- Tickets and passports
- Snacks and water
- Power bank (the charging ports do not always work)
- Scarves/light blanket
- Soap and/or hand sanitizer
- Toilet paper
Arriving in Karachi (make sure you know where you are disembarking)
So you’ve made it by overnight train from Islamabad to Karachi? Success! Otherwise if you are getting close then I’d say it’s a good idea to keep an eye on Google Maps or talk to someone local on the train to know how much further it is to your station.
Our train was delayed by over two hours (making it a 22 hour journey in total) which we didn’t initially realise. However after figuring it out on the map (and seeing the much-later signs for Hyderabad we relaxed and let the final (additional) hours of the journey roll on by).
Enjoy the adventure!
More about travel planning for Pakistan and beyond…
These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- Hostelworld– The largest inventory of hostel accommodation in the world.
- Skyscanner – This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world including everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home).
Read more travel tips and tricks from South Asia
- How to apply for a Pakistan e-Visa: And can you use it at the Wagah Border?
- Crossing the Wagah Border from India to Pakistan.
- Pakistan with kids: A complete guide to travel in Pakistan.
- Money in India: Using ATM’s, withdrawing and carrying your money safely.
- How to use a squat toilet: Everything you didn’t want to ask…
- Our complete packing list for travel in India.
