Jinnah Peoples Train Quetta: Rs 50 to Rs 100 fare, 7 stations from Kuchlak to Sariab

The Jinnah Peoples Train, Quetta's first mass-transit rail service, has been inaugurated on the 32 km line between Sariab and Kuchlak. Fares are Rs 50 to Rs 100 a trip, and senior citizens and persons with disabilities ride free, according to reports of the launch on 29 September.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi and Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti opened the service together. It is a joint project of the Balochistan government and Pakistan Railways.

Jinnah Peoples Train route: the 7 stations

The train runs over an upgraded 32 km track and stops at seven stations:

1. Kuchlak
2. Baleli
3. Sheikh Manda
4. GOR Halt
5. Quetta (main railway station)
6. Lor Kariz Halt
7. Sariab

Turntables were installed at Sariab and Kuchlak so the train can reverse at each end. GOR Halt was rebuilt with solar power, new benches and lighting, and Baleli, Sheikh Manda, Lor Kariz and Quetta station were renovated.

Fare, seats and who rides free

• Fare: Rs 50 to Rs 100 depending on distance
• Free: senior citizens and persons with disabilities
• Capacity: two coaches, 198 seated and about 30 standing passengers
• Coaches: built at Pakistan Railways' Carriage Factory in Islamabad in four months

A full timetable (first and last train, frequency) had not been published by the time of writing. Check at Quetta railway station or on the Pakistan Railways train timings page before planning a daily commute around it.

What it costs compared with riding to work

The line is built for students, office workers, labourers and traders who travel between Kuchlak, the city centre and Sariab every day. A round trip at the top fare is Rs 200.

For comparison, a motorcycle doing the full 64 km return run at 40 km a litre burns about 1.6 litres. At the current PSO depot price of Rs 387.54 a litre on our petrol price page, that is roughly Rs 620 a day before wear and parking, and pump prices in Quetta are usually a little higher. Shorter hops, say Quetta station to Baleli, cost less by train and by bike alike. Put in your own distance and mileage in the fuel cost calculator to see your number.

How it was built

• Cost: about Rs 3 billion for the track upgrade and station work
• Time: track rehabilitation was finished in about 120 days
• Why a local train: Bugti said the province used locally available resources instead of waiting for a costly, slow import of a train from China

What comes next

Bugti said the government is considering extending rail service from Bostan to Mastung. Abbasi asked for a second similar train within 120 days and said work on the Main Line-1 (ML-1) upgrade, estimated at around $2 billion, is expected to begin in January.

The train adds to Quetta's Green and Pink bus services. If it runs on time, it offers a cheap, off-road option on one of the city's busiest corridors, between Kuchlak and the city centre.