Islamabad’s bus network has grown well beyond the original Red Line corridor, and 2026 brings the clearest picture yet of where the new routes actually go. The Capital Development Authority (CDA) now runs an electric feeder bus network of more than 20 routes with a fleet of over 160 buses, feeding passengers into the main metro lines instead of leaving them to find their own way to a station. If you live in a sector that had no direct metro link a few years ago, there is a good chance a feeder route now covers it.
New Electric Feeder Routes Across the City
The newest feeder routes connect sectors that previously depended on private vans and ride-hailing. They include Sector B-17 to the N-5 Metro Bus Station, Taramri on Park Road to Aabpara, Sectors I-8 and I-9 to Faiz Ahmad Faiz Metro Station, and Sector D-12 to G-10 Metro Station. Together with 216 planned bus stops and four charging depots, these routes are designed to make the whole network work as one system, with the feeder bus dropping you right at a metro interchange.
These feeder services generally run from around 6 AM to 10 PM, so they suit both early office commuters and evening travellers. The idea is simple: instead of one long walk or an expensive ride to the nearest station, you catch a feeder bus in your own sector and change onto the Red, Orange, Blue or Green Line. That single change is what turns a scattered set of routes into a genuinely usable city network.
What Is Running and What Is Still Planned
It is important to separate what is already on the road from what is only announced. The electric feeder routes described above are part of an operating network, and CDA has said more feeder routes are being added in stages as buses and depots come online. By contrast, the much-talked-about double-decker sightseeing bus is still a proposal, not a service you can board today, and no fare or launch date has been announced for it.
The sightseeing plan, reported in September 2026, would start with four electric double-decker buses on a roughly 25-kilometre city tour from F-9 Park, passing Faisal Mosque, Lok Virsa, Shakarparian and more than 15 recreational and heritage spots in total. Each bus would carry up to 90 passengers, with low-floor boarding and wheelchair spaces. CDA has asked Heavy Industries Taxila for a feasibility study and cost estimates first, so the service will only move ahead once that work and procurement are complete.
For daily travel, the practical advice stays the same: check the feeder route serving your sector, confirm its interchange station, and allow a few extra minutes for the change onto the main line. New routes are still being rolled out in phases, so if your sector is not covered yet, it is worth checking again after the next CDA announcement rather than assuming the network has stopped growing.