Pakistan Railways just announced a major operational shift. Specifically, the authority will hand over the Karakoram Express to a private company named “Prime Rail”. Consequently, this complete transition will officially take effect on October 30, 2026. The popular train currently operates between Lahore and Karachi.
Ultimately, this decision serves as part of Pakistan Railways’ ongoing plan to gradually transfer mail and express train operations directly to the private sector.
Pakistan Railways clearly outlined the strict transition timeline. The state department will continue to manage ticket bookings for the Karakoram Express until October 29, 2026. However, starting October 30, Prime Rail will officially take over all ticket bookings. Furthermore, the private company will assume full control of other related operations regarding the train.
To ensure a smooth operational transition, authorities have already authorized the next steps. Specifically, Prime Rail has received formal permission to start bookings for the Karakoram Express immediately. Meanwhile, sources confirmed a critical update regarding digital ticketing. Authorities actively instructed the management of the RABTA app to begin advance ticket bookings strictly under this new arrangement.