Pakistan likely to get bullet train between Lahore and Karachi by 2030

Pakistan is likely to introduce a bullet train between Lahore and Karachi by 2030, reducing the travel time from 20 hours to 5, according to Pakistan Railways.

The ambitious project is part of the $6.8 billion Main Line-1 (ML-1) upgrade under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), according to reports. 

Announced earlier this year by Pakistan Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, the high-speed rail network will reportedly be executed with the support of Chinese firms, including the China Railway Construction Corporation.

Covering a 1,215-kilometre route, the bullet train will connect Karachi and Lahore with major stops in Hyderabad, Multan, and Sahiwal, as per reports. 

Ticket prices are expected to range between PKR 5,000 and 10,000 for economy and business class, making the service significantly cheaper than average domestic airfare, which falls between PKR 20,000 and 30,000, stated the reports.

This isn’t the only high-speed rail project in the works. Earlier this year, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved the Lahore–Rawalpindi Bullet Train Project, which will reduce travel time between the two cities to just two and a half hours, compared to the current four to five hours.