Karachi to Rawalpindi Train Ticket Price, Timings & Online Booking
The Karachi to Rawalpindi train ticket price starts at about Rs 4,200 and reaches Rs 17,500 for a Tezgam AC Sleeper. Seven trains cover the 1,480 km run in around 24 to 33 hours, some via Lahore and some via Faisalabad. Rawalpindi sits beside Islamabad at the northern end of the Punjab plain, and Green Line continues a few kilometres further to Islamabad Margalla.
Short answer: Karachi to Rawalpindi costs Rs 4,200 in economy on Khyber Mail, Hazara Express, Pakistan Express and Rehman Baba Express, Rs 5,550 on Tezgam and Rs 6,350 on Green Line. AC Standard runs Rs 10,250 to Rs 12,250, AC Business Rs 11,450 to Rs 15,350, and an AC Sleeper berth Rs 16,550 on Khyber Mail or Rs 17,500 on Tezgam. For Islamabad proper, Green Line continues to Margalla at a slightly higher fare.
Karachi to Rawalpindi train ticket price
Fares on the Pakistan Railways scale in force since the March 2026 revision.
| Train | Economy seat | Economy berth | AC Standard | AC Business | AC Sleeper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pakistan Express | Rs 4,200 | Rs 4,300 | Rs 10,250 | Not offered | Not offered |
| Hazara Express | Rs 4,200 | Rs 4,300 | Rs 10,450 | Not offered | Not offered |
| Khyber Mail | Rs 4,200 | Rs 4,300 | Not offered | Rs 12,300 | Rs 16,550 |
| Rehman Baba Express | Rs 4,200 | Rs 4,300 | Not offered | Rs 11,450 | Not offered |
| Awam Express | Rs 4,250 | Rs 4,350 | Rs 10,750 | Not offered | Not offered |
| Tezgam | Rs 5,550 | Rs 5,650 | Not offered | Rs 13,300 | Rs 17,500 |
| Green Line | Rs 6,350 | Rs 6,450 | Rs 12,250 | Rs 15,350 | Rs 13,800 parlour |
Green Line continues beyond Rawalpindi to Islamabad Margalla, where the fare is a little higher. Confirm in RABTA before paying.
Four trains at the same economy fare
Pakistan Express, Hazara Express, Khyber Mail and Rehman Baba Express all charge Rs 4,200 in economy, but they are not interchangeable above that. Pakistan Express and Hazara Express sell AC Standard around Rs 10,250 to Rs 10,450 and stop there. Khyber Mail and Rehman Baba Express skip AC Standard entirely and sell AC Business instead, at Rs 12,300 and Rs 11,450. If you want air conditioning on a budget, the first pair is the answer; if you want a proper AC Business seat from the cheapest fare tier, take Khyber Mail.
The only two sleepers on the route
Over 24 to 33 hours, a berth stops being a luxury. Khyber Mail sells an AC Sleeper at Rs 16,550 and Tezgam at Rs 17,500; nothing else on the corridor offers one. Below that, an economy berth at Rs 4,300 to Rs 6,450 is the cheapest horizontal option on the network for a journey of this length, and it costs only about Rs 100 more than the seat.
Going to Islamabad rather than Rawalpindi
There is no main railway station in Islamabad city. Green Line terminates at Islamabad Margalla, on the western edge of the capital, and every other service on this list terminates at Rawalpindi. For most Islamabad addresses, Rawalpindi plus a short taxi is faster than waiting for the one train that goes to Margalla.
Which Karachi to Rawalpindi train should you take?
On a journey this long the class matters more than the train name.
Cheapest with AC
- Train
- Pakistan Express
- Fares
- Economy Rs 4,200, AC Standard Rs 10,250
- Why
- The lowest AC Standard fare on the corridor, on the lowest economy tier.
Best for sleeping
- Train
- Khyber Mail
- Fares
- Economy Rs 4,200, AC Sleeper Rs 16,550
- Why
- Cheapest economy tier and the cheaper of the two AC Sleepers, so every budget is covered on one train.
Most comfortable
- Train
- Green Line
- Fares
- Economy Rs 6,350, AC Business Rs 15,350
- Why
- Newest rake, fewest stops, parlour car, and the only train continuing to Islamabad Margalla.
Our pick
Khyber Mail covers more budgets than anything else on the route. Rs 4,200 for an economy seat, Rs 4,300 for a berth, Rs 12,300 for AC Business and Rs 16,550 for an AC Sleeper, all on one train. Green Line is Rs 2,150 more in economy for a shorter, newer journey, which is worth it if you are going to Islamabad Margalla anyway. Tezgam sits awkwardly in between at Rs 5,550.
Karachi to Rawalpindi train timings
Nothing on this route is a short trip. Plan for two nights of disruption to your schedule even if only one is spent on board.
Green Line
About 22 hrsDeparts Karachi Cantt in the evening, reaches Rawalpindi and Margalla the following evening.
Tezgam
About 27 hrsA middle-ranking journey time with the full range of classes.
Cheaper expresses
28 to 33 hrsKhyber Mail, Pakistan Express, Hazara Express and Awam Express, all with heavier stopping patterns.
Winter buffer
3 to 6 hrsFog between Multan and Rawalpindi routinely adds hours from December to February.
Because the run is so long, a delay picked up in Sindh compounds through Punjab rather than being recovered. Check live running status before leaving for the station at either end, and treat any onward connection in Rawalpindi or Islamabad as next-day rather than same-day.
What the journey looks like
- Karachi CanttDeparture for every train on this route.
- Hyderabad and NawabshahThe Sindh plain, usually in the first evening.
- Rohri JunctionThe pivot of the network. Trains for Quetta diverge here.
- Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, KhanewalSouthern Punjab overnight.
- Lahore or FaisalabadMost services run via Lahore Junction; some take the Faisalabad line.
- Jhelum and GujratThe final stretch north through upper Punjab.
- RawalpindiArrival. Green Line continues to Islamabad Margalla.
Rohri is where the network branches
Every train on this corridor passes Rohri Junction, which is also where the Quetta line leaves the main line. When Balochistan services are disrupted, which has been common in 2026, Rohri is where passengers are transferred or turned back. It does not affect Rawalpindi-bound trains, but it explains why the station is busier than its size suggests.
The cheapest way from Karachi to Rawalpindi
Train
Rs 4,200Economy seat, from
Under a quarter of the cheapest air fare, with a berth available and no baggage charge. The trade is a full day and night.
Best for cost and for anyone carrying luggage.
Bus
Rs 6,000 to 11,000By operator and class
Quicker than the slow trains and with more departure choices, but a seated day and night with only meal stops to break it.
Best when you want a fixed arrival time on the road.
Flight
Rs 20,000 to 38,000One way economy
Turns a day and a night into an afternoon. See Karachi to Islamabad flights.
Best when the time is worth four times the fare.
This is the route where the argument for flying is strongest. Thirty hours against two is a different order of sacrifice from the Karachi to Lahore comparison, and the air fare is only about four times the economy train ticket. Where rail still wins outright is on luggage, on families travelling together, and on any journey where an AC Sleeper berth at Rs 16,550 replaces both a ticket and a hotel night.
Karachi to Rawalpindi train FAQs
How much is the Karachi to Rawalpindi train ticket?
Economy starts at Rs 4,200 on Pakistan Express, Hazara Express, Khyber Mail and Rehman Baba Express. Tezgam is Rs 5,550 and Green Line Rs 6,350. AC Standard runs Rs 10,250 to Rs 12,250 and AC Business Rs 11,450 to Rs 15,350.
Is there a direct train from Karachi to Islamabad?
Green Line runs through to Islamabad Margalla, on the edge of the capital. Every other service terminates at Rawalpindi. There is no main station in Islamabad city itself, so Rawalpindi plus a taxi is the normal way in.
Which train has an AC Sleeper on this route?
Only two. Khyber Mail sells an AC Sleeper berth at Rs 16,550 and Tezgam at Rs 17,500. Green Line has a parlour car at Rs 13,800, but that is a seat rather than a berth.
How long does the journey take?
Between about 24 and 33 hours over roughly 1,480 kilometres. Green Line is the quickest at around 22 hours to Rawalpindi. Winter fog in Punjab regularly adds three to six hours to any of them.
What is the cheapest way to sleep on this train?
An economy berth, at Rs 4,300 on the cheapest trains. It costs about Rs 100 more than the economy seat and is the least expensive berth available anywhere on Pakistan Railways for a journey of this distance.
Can I book Karachi to Rawalpindi train tickets online?
Yes, through RABTA, the official Pakistan Railways app and website, up to 90 days before departure. Carry the CNIC used for the booking, since tickets are issued against an identity document and are not transferable.
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