All aboard: Book your berth on a journey back in time
Peshawar-Attock Khurd Safari train kicks off service; vintage carriages will chug to and fro
The project is a joint initiative of Pakistan Railways and the Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. PHOTO: HIDAYAT KHAN/EXPRESS
PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar to Attock Khurd Safari train service kicked off on Saturday. The tourist locomotive will run twice a month between the historical sites of Attock Khurd, Punjab and Peshawar. Two vintage carriages and a single engine have been dedicated to the service.
The project is a joint initiative of Pakistan Railways and the Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP). Before going extinct in 2007, the Safari train used to run between the provincial capital and Torkham; it will now pay a regular visit to one of the most picturesque ancient settlements of the region.
The service will be based at Peshawar Railway Station and is being seen as an important step towards the promotion of tourism. The project was initiated last year but was soon discontinued over various reasons. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Tourism Secretary Aftab Durrani said the government will ensure the upkeep of the train, adding service along the Torkham route will also be resumed.
The project is based on a partnership agreement between the government and a travel and tour company, said TCKP MD Mushtaq Ahmad.
On its first trip of 2015, over 110 buzzing passengers flocked the platform as soon as the mighty machine was good to go. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Sardar Sooran Singh was also amongst the group taken to the recently-renovated 130-year-old Victorian railway station in Attock Khurd. The journey itself is an experience of its own, with historical villages like Akora Khattak situated along the route.
Pages of history
Also known as the gateway to Central Asia, Attock Khurd takes pride in its historical significance with invasions, travellers’ tales, battles as well as Vedic and Sufi schools of thought.
Akbar the Great’s Attock Fort and the Attock Bridge, built by the British in 1881, are notable landmarks of the town.
The Peshawar-Torkham Safari train itself was a flame that drew an eclipse of moths – the tourists – from around the world until the volatile security situation and the dilapidated condition of railway tracks forced the service’s discontinuation.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2015.
The Peshawar to Attock Khurd Safari train service kicked off on Saturday. The tourist locomotive will run twice a month between the historical sites of Attock Khurd, Punjab and Peshawar. Two vintage carriages and a single engine have been dedicated to the service.
The project is a joint initiative of Pakistan Railways and the Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP). Before going extinct in 2007, the Safari train used to run between the provincial capital and Torkham; it will now pay a regular visit to one of the most picturesque ancient settlements of the region.
The service will be based at Peshawar Railway Station and is being seen as an important step towards the promotion of tourism. The project was initiated last year but was soon discontinued over various reasons. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Tourism Secretary Aftab Durrani said the government will ensure the upkeep of the train, adding service along the Torkham route will also be resumed.
The project is based on a partnership agreement between the government and a travel and tour company, said TCKP MD Mushtaq Ahmad.
On its first trip of 2015, over 110 buzzing passengers flocked the platform as soon as the mighty machine was good to go. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MPA Sardar Sooran Singh was also amongst the group taken to the recently-renovated 130-year-old Victorian railway station in Attock Khurd. The journey itself is an experience of its own, with historical villages like Akora Khattak situated along the route.
Pages of history
Also known as the gateway to Central Asia, Attock Khurd takes pride in its historical significance with invasions, travellers’ tales, battles as well as Vedic and Sufi schools of thought.
Akbar the Great’s Attock Fort and the Attock Bridge, built by the British in 1881, are notable landmarks of the town.
The Peshawar-Torkham Safari train itself was a flame that drew an eclipse of moths – the tourists – from around the world until the volatile security situation and the dilapidated condition of railway tracks forced the service’s discontinuation.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2015.