Upgraded Awam Express with dining car inaugurated in Karachi

KARACHI: The Awam Express has a new look — Sindh Governor Syed Muhammad Nihal Hashmi inaugurated the upgraded Karachi–Peshawar service in Karachi on Monday, and the train now carries modern passenger facilities along with a dedicated dining car.

Speaking at the ceremony, the governor said the dining car would give passengers better access to food and refreshments on the long journey, making the trip more comfortable. He described the upgrade as a practical step towards modernising Pakistan Railways. The service is now operated under a public-private partnership, bringing private-sector participation into running one of the country’s longest rail routes.

A long journey, made a little easier
The Awam Express covers around 1,725 kilometres between Karachi and Peshawar, stopping at nearly 60 stations along the way, and the journey takes more than 33 hours. On a trip that long, food matters: until now passengers either carried meals from home or bought food during station halts. A dining car on board changes that, letting them eat properly without waiting for the next stop.

The latest step in a year of upgrades
The train has been steadily improving this year. In May, the first upgraded rake rolled out from Peshawar with eight air-conditioned coaches and room for around 1,234 passengers, and a second upgraded rake followed in June. Monday’s inauguration in Karachi is the next step in that same programme — and the dining car is its most visible addition yet.