Gujar khan  -  The residents and traders of Gujar Khan and adjoining areas have demanded that more trains stop at the local railway station. They pointed out that they frequently travel to and from Lahore and Faisalabad, but only one train for Faisalabad and four for Lahore are available. These four trains — namely, the Faisalabad-bound Pakistan Express, the Karachi-bound Tezgam and Awam Express, the Quetta-bound Jaffar Express, and the Lahore-bound Subak Kharram — are the only trains that currently stop at Gujar Khan station.

These trains reportedly generate more than Rs. 250,000 daily and over Rs. 80 million monthly in revenue from Gujar Khan station alone. Raja Muhammad Jawad, President of the Traders Association of Gujar Khan, while speaking to The Nation, said that the Rehman Baba Express, commonly referred to as the “train of the poor,” is highly suited for low-income passengers and is in great demand in Gujar Khan.

Similarly, Raja Jawad mentioned that traders and government employees frequently travel to Lahore for business and official work. The Subak Raftaar Express, which departs from Rawalpindi, has been the most preferred train for Lahore as it reaches the city by 11:50 a.m. However, it does not stop at Gujar Khan, causing inconvenience to many passengers. On the other hand, the Lahore-bound Subak Kharram, which stops at Gujar Khan around 5:20 p.m., is not suitable for one-day business trips to Lahore, limiting its utility for traders and officials.

Advocate Kaleem Bhatti, while commenting on the need for more train stops at Gujar Khan, said that this station serves as a key hub for passengers from Dhudial (Azad Kashmir), Kallar Syedan, Sohawa Tehsil, and parts of Chakwal district.

He regretted that Pakistan Railways’ higher authorities have denied the stoppage of some popular trains at Gujar Khan, even though nearly every train, including the non-stop Islamabad Express (which operates between Lahore and Rawalpindi), makes two stops at Chaklala and Rawalpindi stations — both within the same city.

Bhatti further pointed out that although the Islamabad Express is officially a non-stop service, it frequently halts for crossings at various stations up to Kharian. Meanwhile, in the Rawalpindi division, passengers traveling to Sohawa, Gujar Khan, and Mandra are forced to disembark at Rawalpindi and make the return journey home late at night.

Residents of Gujar Khan have also called for the revival of the Gujar Khan-Rawalpindi-Islamabad shuttle train to facilitate office workers commuting in the morning and returning in the evening. They argued that launching such a shuttle service would reduce traffic congestion on GT Road and provide commuters with direct access to the Rawalpindi-Islamabad Metro Bus routes.

When contacted, Divisional Superintendent of Railways in Rawalpindi, Mr. Noor Uddin Dawar said that almost all important trains had their stoppages in Gujar Khan except non-stop trains. He added that a request could be sent to the headquarters for consideration for adding stop in Gujar Khan according to the needs. 

Residents have urged the Minister for Pakistan Railways and the Chairman of Pakistan Railways to consider scheduling stops for key trains at Gujar Khan railway station, keeping in view public convenience and the department’s revenue potential.