The Ministry of Railways has strongly denied recent reports claiming that a bullet train project is being planned between Karachi and Lahore. In an official statement, the ministry described the news as “baseless and misleading,” making it clear that no such project has been approved or announced.
According to railway officials, the government’s priority right now is not launching bullet trains but improving and upgrading the existing railway system. The main focus is on repairing old tracks, modernizing infrastructure, and enhancing passenger safety. Officials stressed that spreading unverified news about high-speed trains can mislead the public and create false expectations.
The clarification came after several media outlets reported that a bullet train under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Main Line-1 project was planned. These reports suggested that a new high-speed rail line would connect Karachi and Lahore, cutting travel time to just five hours, with multiple stops along the route.
However, the Ministry of Railways confirmed that the ML-1 project only involves upgrading the current railway track, increasing train speed and capacity, but does not include a bullet train plan.
It is worth noting that earlier this year, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif approved a separate bullet train project between Lahore and Rawalpindi. That project is provincial, and it has no link to the Karachi–Lahore route.
The Ministry has urged the public to rely only on official updates, emphasizing that while Pakistan aims to modernize its railway system, its immediate goal is to strengthen and secure the network already in place.
