ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railways has unveiled an ambitious plan to launch ahigh-speed bullet train service between Lahore and Karachi by 2030, aproject officials say will revolutionize the country’s transport sector byreducing travel time from nearly 20 hours to just five.
The proposal, announced this week envisions a modern rail corridorequipped with advanced signaling, upgraded track infrastructure, andstate-of-the-art bullet train technology.
“This initiative is not just about faster travel — it’s about connectingPakistan’s two largest cities with a modern system that will boost trade,tourism, and economic development,” a Railways Ministry spokesperson toldArab News.
The Lahore–Karachi line is Pakistan’s busiest rail route, used daily bythousands of commuters and cargo operators. Currently, even the fastesttrains take more than 18 hours to cover the 1,200-kilometer distance.Officials say the new service, once operational, will cut that time tonearly one-fourth, offering passengers a safer and more efficientalternative to road and air travel.
Experts believe the project could cost several billion dollars, withforeign investment and public–private partnerships being explored. Chinaand other international partners are reportedly being consulted onfinancing and technical expertise.
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Commuters in both cities have welcomed the plan, though many remaincautious about whether Pakistan can deliver on such an ambitious timelinegiven past delays in large-scale infrastructure projects.
If completed, the Lahore–Karachi bullet train would mark the country’sfirst true high-speed rail service, placing Pakistan alongside regionalneighbors such as China and Japan in adopting cutting-edge passenger railtechnology.