Railways Deny Karachi-Lahore Bullet Train Plan

Islamabad, August 26, 2025, 09:56 PM PKT — The Ministry of Railways has categorically dismissed reports of a planned bullet train linking Karachi and Lahore, labeling them “completely baseless and misleading”, as per an official statement, countering state-run media claims on August 24 of a 1,215-kilometre line under the $6.8 billion ML-1 upgrade of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that would slash travel time from 20 hours to five, with stops at Hyderabad, Multan, and Sahiwal. Railways Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi has made no such announcement, said Pakistan Railway Spokesperson Babar Ali, who stressed the government’s focus on enhancing existing railway facilities and urged reliance on official communications.

The rejection follows earlier buzz from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s approval of a Lahore-Rawalpindi bullet train project, aiming to cut travel time to 2.5 hours. Web context on rail projects shows past speculation, while posts found on X reflect disappointment—some question priorities, others doubt clarity. Critically, the narrative of “infrastructure focus” may mask communication gaps—web data hints at unverified leaks, and X sentiment suggests distrust in official intent, pointing to potential confusion.