Special Eid train departs Karachi for Peshawar with 1,176 passengers on board

KARACHI: Over 1,100 passengers, including children, boarded a special Eid train from Karachi on Tuesday, setting off for their hometowns to celebrate Eidul Fitr with their families amid an atmosphere of excitement.

The train, carrying 1,176 passengers across 16 rail-cars, was the third of four special trains arranged by Pakistan Railways on the occasion of Eidul Fitr and the first one departing from Karachi, with Peshawar as its final destination.

31 stops along the route

The special Eid train is scheduled to make approximately 31 stops on its journey from Karachi to Peshawar. The stops include Hyderabad, Tando Adam, Nawabshah, Rohri, Khanpur, Bahawalpur, Lodhran, Multan, Khanewal, Shorkot, Toba Tek Singh, Gojra, Faisalabad, Chak Jhumra, Chiniot, Shahinabad, Sargodha, Malakwal, Mandi Bahauddin, Lalamusa, Jhelum, Rawalpindi, Hasan Abdal, Attock, Jehangira, Nowshera, and Peshawar.

Festive scenes at Cantonment Station

Most of the passengers boarded the train from the Cantonment Station in Karachi. Minutes before the train pulled into the station, Platform No 1 was packed with luggage of all kinds — suitcases, handbags, belongings tied in bed sheets or plastic gunny bags, and fruit — as passengers eagerly awaited departure.

The scene at the station reflected the festive spirit of Eid, with families preparing to travel across the country to reunite with loved ones for the celebrations. The special train service provided by Pakistan Railways is part of the national carrier's efforts to facilitate passengers during the Eidul Fitr holiday rush, with four special trains arranged in total for the occasion.

The departure of the Karachi-bound Eid special marked a significant movement of travellers from the port city, as thousands of people residing in Karachi for work travel to their native towns and cities across Sindh, Punjab, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the Eid holidays each year.