Pakistan bullet train: Benefits, challenges and mobility for increasing population

Dubai: Pakistan’s proposed bullet train project will be a game changer on the path to the country’s development and will bring prosperity to its growing population.

It is a bold step to modernise Pakistan’s aging rail transport infrastructure.

Recently, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has greenlit the Lahore–Rawalpindi Bullet Train Project. The proposed rail link is expected to reduce travel time between the two major cities to just two and a half hours, a dramatic improvement from the current four to five hours journey.

While the project faces challenges related to infrastructure, financing, and terrain, advocates argue that its long-term benefits will mirror those of another once-controversial transport initiative that reshaped Pakistan’s economic landscape: the motorway network launched by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the 1990s.

When the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (Maryam’s father) inaugurated the Lahore–Islamabad Motorway (M-2) in 1997, it was met with skepticism. Critics questioned its cost, feasibility, and necessity in a country struggling with basic infrastructure. At the time, Pakistan lacked even widespread access to paved roads and consistent public transport. Yet, nearly three decades later, the M-2 has proven to be a game changer in Pakistan. .

Today, that motorway has become a lifeline of commerce and connectivity. It has drastically cut travel times, facilitated intercity business, boosted tourism, improved logistics efficiency, and catalysed regional development.

Its success laid the foundation for a nationwide network of motorways that now spans from Karachi to Peshawar,  a symbol of long-term planning that overcame initial resistance to become a cornerstone of Pakistan’s modern infrastructure.

Critics also dismissed Lahore’s Metro Bus and Orange Line Metro Train projects as extravagant when they were launched. Yet today, both are resounding successes, serving hundreds of thousands of commuters daily, providing affordable, reliable transit, and reducing traffic congestion in one of Pakistan’s most densely populated cities.

The Orange Line, South Asia’s first driverless metro train, now stands as a symbol of what’s possible when bold infrastructure meets persistent leadership. It has transformed how students, workers, and families move through Lahore, just as the Metro Bus did when it redefined public transport in 2013.

The lesson is clear: public transport pays off,  not just in convenience, but in equity, environment, and long-term economic growth.

Transportation experts suggest that the Bullet Train initiative may be on a similar trajectory.

“The vision is not just about speed, it is about leapfrogging outdated systems and transforming how we connect cities, people, and markets,” said Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, who is leading coordination efforts with Pakistan Railways under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework.

The Lahore–Rawalpindi corridor is one of the busiest in Pakistan, with tens of thousands traveling daily for work, education, and family. A high-speed train along this 280-kilometre stretch would not only improve convenience but also reduce fuel consumption, cut highway congestion, and stimulate local economies along the route.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi noted that this effort fits into a wider strategy. “This is not an isolated project. It is part of a broader rethinking of how Pakistan commutes, travels, and competes in the 21st century,” he added.

Chief Minister Maryam has also ordered feasibility studies for six additional high-speed train routes across Punjab, from Lahore to Narowal and Faisalabad to Shaheenabad, with reports due in June. These routes are designed to expand the reach of modern transit systems, particularly to industrial and agricultural heartlands.

The Bullet Train project itself is being envisioned in phases. Initially, the goal is to modernise the existing rail track to support speeds of up to 160 km/h, not yet “bullet” speed, but a substantial leap from the current average of 60–70 km/h. Full high-speed rail could be introduced in the long term, based on performance, ridership demand, and financial sustainability.

Experts remain cautious. The existing track between Lahore and Rawalpindi is outdated, riddled with sharp curves, river bridges, and uneven gradients. Rolling stock compatible with bullet train speeds (over 300 km/h) is not available locally, and importing or manufacturing them would require billions of dollars in investment.

Still, incremental progress is feasible. A modernised high-speed service (at up to 160 km/h) using upgraded track, locomotives, and safety systems has been priced at around Rs400 billion ($1.4 billion). Officials say the federal and provincial governments are exploring hybrid financing models, potentially involving foreign investment and private partners.

The stakes are high, but so are the potential returns. Improved rail infrastructure reduces logistics costs, lowers carbon emissions, creates jobs, and encourages the public to shift from private vehicles to more sustainable transport.

Just as the motorway unlocked economic zones and industrial growth along its route, a high-speed rail corridor could breathe new life into underdeveloped towns and cities.

The project is not about launching a vanity bullet train overnight, but rather about modernising Pakistan’s transport backbone in stages, much like how the motorway network evolved over decades.

 Even in countries like India and the United States, full-scale bullet trains remain rare. Most high-speed projects there have started with moderate goals and scaled up as infrastructure and demand matured.

Pakistan’s high-speed rail initiative is not without hurdles. But history shows that visionary infrastructure like the motorway system once doubted and now indispensable can change the destiny of a nation when paired with smart planning and political will.

The Bullet Train is not just about reaching the destination faster. It is about moving Pakistan forward.