What Travelers Should Know About Railway Station Gujranwala Before They Show Up

First thing. Gujranwala has three railway stations and the old City station on GT Road is not operational. Has been shut for years. People still show up there, especially coming from outside the city, and find nothing. The one you want is on Gill Road in Akram Colony. Station code GRW. That one actually runs. Everything else in the city either sees very little traffic or is just not working anymore.

The building has been here since 1881. British era construction, old North Western Railway line. It is on the Karachi to Peshawar main line which means trains heading almost anywhere up or down the country pass through here at some point. Four platforms, parking, separate waiting rooms for men and women, both air conditioned. There is a canteen, tea stalls, a luggage deposit counter, a police booth, and wheelchair assistance available if you ask for it. Station contact is 055-6608769. If you need anything beyond that, 117 is the Pakistan Railways helpline.

Khyber Mail, Tezgam, Jaffar Express, Subak Raftar, Subak Kharam Express. Those are the main ones most travelers actually use. Khyber Mail from Karachi side gets here sometime after 9 at night. It does not hang around. The same train heading down from Peshawar passes through early in the morning, around 6. Tezgam toward Rawalpindi is early afternoon. These timings are not fixed in stone. Check Pakistan Railways before you build a plan around them.

Stops here are short. Very short. Most trains sit for four minutes, sometimes five. Miss the platform and you miss the train, simple as that. This catches people who arrive at the station on time but spend ten minutes at the tea stall or sorting luggage at the entrance. Twenty minutes on the platform before departure is not too early. With kids or heavy bags, make it thirty.

Lahore tickets are cheap, a couple hundred rupees for basic class, a bit more for better options. The Awam Express was the cheapest on that route for a long time but it stopped running back in March 2023. For Karachi or Peshawar, the cost goes up and the seat class starts to matter a lot more. Sleeping on a long overnight route is a different experience from Economy. Book those in advance. Seats go, especially in the weeks before Eid or any long public holiday. Standing at the counter four days before and expecting to find AC Standard available is wishful thinking most of the time.

Ticket booking at railway station Gujranwala is computerized at the counter. You can also use pakrail.gov.pk or the RABTA app. For a solo trip or two people traveling together and booking a week ahead, the app handles it fine. For groups or same day travel, just go to the counter and save yourself the frustration.

The luggage deposit is worth knowing about if you are transiting through and want a few hours in the city without dragging everything with you. Rickshaws and taxis are right outside the main exit. Most parts of Gujranwala city are twenty something minutes away by rickshaw, maybe more depending on traffic and which part of town you are going to.

There is also Gujranwala Cantonment station separately, in the Cantt area. Fewer trains stop there. Unless you are specifically in that part of the city, GRW is where you need to be.

Gujranwala is a large, busy city and the railway station Gujranwala moves a lot of people daily. It is not a new building and it is not fancy. But it works, trains come and go, and if you know which station to go to and how short those stops are, you will not have problems.

FAQs

How many trains stop at railway station Gujranwala daily?

A good number pass through, including the Khyber Mail, Tezgam, Jaffar Express, and Subak Raftar. Always confirm timings on the Pakistan Railways website before you travel as schedules shift.

Is there more than one railway station in Gujranwala?

Three exist but only two are active. The main GRW on Gill Road and Gujranwala Cantonment. The old City station on GT Road shut down years ago and is not running.

Can I book tickets for the railway station Gujranwala online?

Yes, through pakrail.gov.pk or the RABTA app. The station counter also has computerized booking if you prefer sorting it in person.