Jinnah Metro Train Service Starts in Quetta, Balochistan
Quetta's Jinnah Metro Train now runs daily from Kuchlak to Sariab with seven stations. Fares and timings are not published yet, so here is how to check them.
Quetta now has a metro train. Federal Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti inaugurated the Jinnah People's Mass Transit Train Service in Quetta on Tuesday 29 September 2026, according to Radio Pakistan. The train will run daily between Kuchlak and Sariab, with seven stations on the route.
The Railways Minister said Balochistan had taken the lead among the provinces by introducing a metro train service. The Chief Minister thanked the Ministry of Railways for its help in launching it.
What you will not find yet, on any official page we checked, is a fare or a timetable. We cover what is confirmed, what has only been reported, and how to check before you travel.
The Chief Minister also said the service will be extended to Bostan and Mastung, and that the track will be upgraded for two-way operation within the year.
The Jinnah Metro Train is Balochistan's first metro service
The Jinnah Metro Train is a commuter rail service in Quetta, run daily on a railway track between Kuchlak and Sariab. Radio Pakistan reported its inauguration on 29 September 2026. The Chief Minister said it will give safe, comfortable and affordable transport.
Its official name in the inauguration report is the Jinnah People's Mass Transit Train Service. Earlier reports called it the Jinnah Peoples Train, and an earlier official report called it the Jinnah Metro Train. All three names refer to the same service.
The Chief Minister named students, employees, businesspeople and other citizens as the people it is meant to serve.
For Quetta commuters, it adds a rail option on a fixed track. Other big cities mostly rely on road-based systems, and you can compare them in the metro bus and BRT fares and timings for each city. A train on its own track avoids road traffic, which is the main point of the project.
The train runs daily from Kuchlak to Sariab with seven stations
The official inauguration report confirms the route: the train runs daily between Kuchlak, north of Quetta, and Sariab in the south, with seven stations along the way. The 32 kilometre length and the station names are still reported only.
The Balochistan government announced the length and station names on 25 September 2026, as reported in the press. We could not find that announcement on an official Balochistan government website, and the Radio Pakistan report does not list the stations by name. These are the seven stations as reported, from north to south:
| Order | Station (as reported) | Place on the line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kuchlak | Northern end |
| 2 | Baleli | North |
| 3 | Sheikhmanda | North |
| 4 | GOR | Middle |
| 5 | Quetta | Middle, main Quetta Railway Station |
| 6 | Lor Kariz | South |
| 7 | Sariab | Southern end, Sariab Railway Station |
The same reports said the track was upgraded in 120 days at a cost of Rs 3 billion. Those two figures also come from the provincial announcement as reported, not from a document we read ourselves.
The line uses the existing Pakistan Railways corridor through Quetta. That is why the federal Railways Minister inaugurated it alongside the Chief Minister.
Two changes are promised. The Chief Minister said the service will be extended to Bostan and Mastung, and the track upgraded for two-way operation within the year. No dates or costs were given for either. Two-way operation means trains can run in both directions at once, which usually allows more frequent trains.
Fares and timings have not been published officially
No official fare or timetable for the Jinnah Metro Train was online when we checked on 29 September 2026. We looked at the Balochistan government website, the Chief Minister's website and Pakistan Railways' timetable and press release pages.
The Pakistan Railways train timings page lists the long-distance Jinnah Express, which is a different train between Karachi and Lahore. It does not list the Quetta metro service. Do not confuse the two when you search.
The Chief Minister described the service as affordable at the inauguration. No rupee figure was given in the official report, and none has been announced that we could confirm. If you see a fare quoted on social media, it has not come from an official page we could find.
Who runs the train is not yet stated
Neither official report says who operates the Jinnah Metro Train day to day. The Railways Minister said the federal government is committed to providing all possible facilities to Balochistan, and the Chief Minister had earlier thanked the Ministry of Railways.
So two bodies are involved: the Government of Balochistan, which led and funded the project as reported, and Pakistan Railways, which owns the track. Who sells tickets, who staffs the stations and who takes complaints has not been published. We will add it when an official notice appears.
Here is what we could confirm and what we could not:
- Confirmed by Radio Pakistan: the inauguration on 29 September 2026, daily service between Kuchlak and Sariab, seven stations, and the planned extension to Bostan and Mastung.
- Reported only: the 32 km length, the station names, the Rs 3 billion cost and the 120 day build.
- Not published: fares, departure times, frequency, ticketing and the operator.
How to check the service before you travel
Until a timetable is published, the safest way to use the train is to confirm details at a station on the day. Carry cash, allow extra time and have a backup route, because early days of a new service often bring timing changes.
- Go to the nearest station on the route, such as Quetta Railway Station or Sariab.
- Ask the station staff for the day's departure times and the fare to your stop.
- Check whether tickets are sold at the counter or on board.
- Keep a van or rickshaw option in mind for the first weeks.
- Watch the Balochistan government website and Radio Pakistan for an official timetable.
Pakistan Railways' own intercity trains to and from Quetta are a separate service with their own fares. For those, the steps to check Pakistan Railways train timings and to check Pakistan Railways fares still apply.
If you have a problem with a provincial service in Balochistan, the Chief Minister's complaint system is one route, and filing on the AWAAZ portal takes a few minutes.
Common questions
Where does the Jinnah Metro Train run?
In Quetta, Balochistan. It runs daily between Kuchlak and Sariab with seven stations, according to Radio Pakistan. The 32 km length is reported only.
Has the Jinnah Metro Train started?
Yes. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti inaugurated it in Quetta on 29 September 2026.
Will the Jinnah Metro Train go to Mastung?
The Chief Minister said the service will be extended to Bostan and Mastung. No date has been given.
What is the Jinnah Metro Train fare?
No official fare had been published when we checked on 29 September 2026. Ask at the station until one is announced.
Is the Jinnah Metro Train the same as the Jinnah Express?
No. The Jinnah Express is a Pakistan Railways intercity train. The Jinnah Metro Train is a commuter service inside Quetta.
Is the Jinnah Peoples Train a different project?
No. The official name is the Jinnah People's Mass Transit Train Service, and Jinnah Peoples Train and Jinnah Metro Train are names for the same service.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 29 September 2026, evening PKT. The inauguration by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti, the official name, the daily Kuchlak to Sariab service, the seven stations, the extension to Bostan and Mastung, and the two-way track upgrade within the year are from Radio Pakistan's inauguration report of 29 September 2026. The leaders' earlier comments are from a second Radio Pakistan report the same day. The route length, the station names, the Rs 3 billion cost and the 120 day build were announced by the Balochistan government on 25 September 2026 as reported in the press; we could not find that announcement on the Balochistan government website or the Chief Minister's website. We found no fare, timetable or operator on those sites or on the Pakistan Railways timetable and press release pages on 29 September 2026. Corrections are made openly: if you have an official notice with fares or timings, tell us and we will add it.
About the author
Senior Writer, Public Services and Technology
Shahid joined us in 2024 as an author. He is a senior contributor to Pakistan's leading technology websites. He writes detailed articles, mostly covering his expertise in the latest tech, mobiles, apps, gadgets, and step-by-step guides. His ideology is to help people understand the latest trends and explain complex methods through very easy-to-understand guides.
