ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Railways has dismissed reports suggesting that the government is planning to establish a bullet train connecting Karachi and Lahore, describing such claims as “completely unfounded and deceptive.”
The Ministry clarified that Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has not made any announcements regarding a high-speed rail initiative. “There has been no statement from Hanif Abbasi about launching a bullet train,” stated Pakistan Railway spokesperson Babar Ali.
He emphasized that the government’s current focus remains on enhancing existing railway infrastructure and urged the public to rely solely on official statements from the Ministry.This clarification followed media reports on August 24, which claimed that a 1,215-kilometer bullet train route, part of the $6.8 billion ML-1 upgrade under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), would significantly reduce travel time between Karachi and Lahore from 20 hours to just five hours, with stops in Hyderabad, Multan, and Sahiwal.
Earlier this year, Punjab’s Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved a separate bullet train project between Lahore and Rawalpindi, which is expected to cut travel time between the two cities to approximately 2.5 hours.
