RAS question
Before its 2019 suspension, Thar Express ran between which cities?
Correct answer: (B) Jodhpur-Karachi.
Before its 2019 suspension, Thar Express ran between Jodhpur in India and Karachi in Pakistan via the Munabao-Khokhrapar border route.
Explanation
Thar Express, also called Thar Link Express, is identified by Indian Railways as the international train connecting Karachi, Pakistan, to Jodhpur, India. The route is tied to the western Rajasthan-Sindh rail link: Indian Railways notes Bhagat ki Kothi-Munabao on the Indian side and describes Munabao and Khokhropar as the last railway stations near the India-Pakistan border, with Zero Point as the actual crossing point. Jodhpur-Karachi is therefore the substantive city-pair for the service. For RAS, the key is not merely the train name but the Rajasthan border geography: Jodhpur links through Munabao toward Khokhrapar and onward to Karachi.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Delhi-Lahore refers to the Samjhauta Express, not Thar Express, which is tied to the Jodhpur-Karachi link.
- (C) Jaipur is not identified by Indian Railways as the Indian starting city for Thar Express.
- (D) Barmer is close to the western Rajasthan border context, but Indian Railways names the service with Bhagat ki Kothi-Munabao and identifies the international connection as Karachi to Jodhpur, not Barmer-Hyderabad (Sindh).
Concept
This tests Rajasthan's international rail connectivity and border geography with Pakistan. It recurs in RAS because transport routes through western Rajasthan often link physical geography, borders and current affairs.