Recently, social media has been full of posts claiming that Pakistan Railways is planning to launch the country’s first bullet train from Lahore to Karachi. According to these viral reports, the train will run at a speed of 250 km/h and will cut the travel time between the two cities to just five hours. Many websites even shared supposed details about the project, including costs, stations, and dates.
But the big question is: Is this news true or just another rumor? Let’s find out.
What the Viral News Claims
According to the stories circulating online:
- The train will travel from Lahore Junction to Karachi Cantonment, with major stops in Multan, Hyderabad, and Sahiwal.
- The travel time will be reduced from 18–20 hours to only 5 hours.
- The project is part of the ML-1 railway upgrade under CPEC.
- The total cost is said to be around $6.8 billion (PKR 1.9 trillion).
- Construction will start in 2026 and the project will be completed by 2030.
- Tickets will cost between PKR 5,000 to 10,000, much cheaper than domestic flights.
For many people, this news sounded exciting because a fast train could change travel and business between Pakistan’s two biggest cities.
What the Government Says
However, the Ministry of Railways has clearly denied all these claims. Officials said that:
- There is no plan to launch a bullet train in Pakistan.
- The news about travel time of 5 hours and special stations is false and misleading.
- Right now, the focus is only on the ML-1 project, which is about upgrading the existing tracks, bridges, and signals to improve safety and reduce delays.
- The government does not have the financial capacity to start a bullet train project at this time.
What’s the Reality?
The truth is that the ML-1 project is real, and it is being supported by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). But this project does not include a bullet train. Instead, it will only upgrade Pakistan’s old railway system so trains can run faster (up to 160 km/h), but not at bullet train speed.
The false stories spread quickly on TikTok, WhatsApp, and unverified news sites, which confused many people.
Conclusion
The idea of traveling from Lahore to Karachi in just five hours is very attractive, but the reality is different. As of now, there are no official plans for a bullet train in Pakistan. The government is only focusing on railway modernization through the ML-1 upgrade.
So, the viral news about Pakistan’s first bullet train is fake. For correct updates, always follow the official Pakistan Railways website (pakrail.gov.pk) or trusted news sources, instead of relying on rumors.
