Shalimar Express Timings and Fare: Not on Pakistan Railways Booking, 9 Lahore to Karachi Options

Shalimar Express does not appear on Pakistan Railways' Rabta booking system for any date we checked, from 30 September to 7 October 2026. Nine other trains run between Lahore and Karachi every day. Economy starts at Rs 3,750 and the fastest train, Green Line, takes about 17 hours.

Shalimar Express has long been a Lahore to Karachi train, and many people still search for its timings and fare before they travel. So on 29 September 2026 we asked Rabta, the official Pakistan Railways booking system at pakrailways.gov.pk, for every train between the two cities. We checked six travel dates in both directions. Shalimar Express was not on any of them.

That does not prove the train has ended for good. It does mean you cannot book it on Rabta for the coming week. Below are the trains you can book, with their times and fares, and the steps to check whether Shalimar Express comes back.

Shalimar Express is not on Pakistan Railways' booking system this week

We searched Rabta for Lahore to Karachi and Karachi to Lahore on 30 September and 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 October 2026. Each search returned the same nine trains. None was Shalimar Express, and no Rabta notice explains why.

We also asked Rabta for its full train list on the route, which includes trains with no seats left. Shalimar Express was not there either. We ran the same check from Faisalabad and from Sahiwal, two cities on its reported routes. The answer did not change.

Some people will still find old timetables online with a departure time and a fare for Shalimar Express. Do not plan a trip on those. If a train is not on Rabta, the ticket office cannot sell you a seat on it.

Nine Lahore to Karachi trains you can book instead

Nine trains leave Lahore Junction for Karachi Cantt every day. The first is Fareed Express at 06:00 and the last is Green Line at 20:40. Economy seats cost Rs 3,750 to Rs 5,600, depending on the train.

These are Rabta's own times and fares for 1 October 2026. Fares are per adult, one way. Tezgam, Karachi Express and Khyber Mail also sell an AC Sleeper, at Rs 14,850 on the first two and Rs 14,050 on Khyber Mail.

If you want speed, take Green Line. If you want the lowest fare, four trains charge Rs 3,750 in economy. Allama Iqbal Express is the quickest of those four, at just over 21 hours. Fares on every route are set out in our Pakistan Railways fares by class table.

Karachi to Lahore trains and fares for the same week

The same nine trains run north from Karachi Cantt. Awam Express leaves first, at 07:30, and Khyber Mail leaves last, at 22:15. Green Line is again the fastest, reaching Lahore in 16 hours 35 minutes.

Fareed Express is the slowest, at 26 hours 15 minutes. It is cheap, but you pay for it in time. Stops and times for other popular trains are in our list of Pakistan Railways train timings.

How to check if Shalimar Express is running again

Search Rabta for your exact date and route. If Shalimar Express is back, it will appear in the results with its time and fare. If it is not listed, call the railway enquiry number, 117, before you go to the station.

1. Open the Rabta app or go to pakrailways.gov.pk.
2. Choose Lahore as the start and Karachi Cantt as the end, or the other way round.
3. Pick your travel date. In our checks, Rabta showed trains about two weeks ahead.
4. Read the list of train names. If Shalimar Express is there, select it to see seats and fares.
5. If it is not there, call 117 and ask whether the train is running on your date.

Rabta itself lists 117 as its call centre number. The same app handles booking train tickets online for all nine trains above. Payment is made online inside the app.

What was reported about Shalimar Express in 2026

It was reported in late July 2026 that Shalimar Express was suspended after floods damaged a railway bridge. Reports in August said it would restart on 14 August on a route through Raiwind and Sahiwal. Pakistan Railways has not published either change on its own website.

The same August reports mentioned a 14 per cent fare cut on the train. We could not find that on pakrail.gov.pk or on Rabta either, so treat it as reported, not confirmed.

What we can say is simple. Rabta has no Shalimar Express seats for the dates we checked. Rabta's records for a Lahore to Karachi service on the old Faisalabad route stop in April 2026. The train may be run or sold another way. We have no official page that says so.

Common questions

Is Shalimar Express running in October 2026?

We could not find it. Rabta listed no Shalimar Express for any date from 30 September to 7 October 2026. Call 117 to ask about a later date.

What time does Shalimar Express leave Lahore?

No official time is published for the coming week, because the train is not on Rabta. Old timetables online may be out of date.

What is the cheapest train from Lahore to Karachi?

Fareed Express, Khyber Mail, Allama Iqbal Express and Awam Express all charge Rs 3,750 for an economy seat, according to Rabta on 1 October 2026.

Which train is fastest from Lahore to Karachi?

Green Line. It leaves Lahore at 20:40 and reaches Karachi Cantt at 13:50 the next day, a journey of 17 hours 10 minutes.

Can I get a refund on a Lahore to Karachi train ticket?

It depends on when you cancel and why. The train ticket refund rules set out how much you get back in each case.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

We checked Pakistan Railways' Rabta booking system on 29 September 2026, for travel on 30 September and 1, 3, 5, 6 and 7 October 2026. Times and fares in the tables are Rabta's own figures for 1 October 2026. We also read Rabta's notice list and its settings, which give 117 as the call centre number, and searched the news, press release and public notice pages on pakrail.gov.pk. None of them mentions Shalimar Express. The suspension, the new route and the discount come from press reports that Pakistan Railways has not confirmed on its own pages. Book through pakrailways.gov.pk, and check again closer to your date.