PAKISTAN’s federal minister for railways, Hanif Abbasi, says the government has approved in principle plans to introduce a new “high-speed” rail service linking Lahore and Islamabad in the province of Punjab. After a meeting with Punjab senior minister, Maryam Aurangzeb, on April 26, Abbasi says the new line could reduce journey time between the two cities from 4 hours to 2h 45min.
Funding for the project, estimated at up to $US 10bn, has yet to be agreed and Aurangzeb is liaising with Pakistan Railways (PR) over a number of potential options, including a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
The project will see trains from Lahore travel via Lalamusa, Dina, Gujar Khan and Rawalpindi before reaching Islamabad. The existing line between Kalowal and Pindora will be rebuilt and doubled as part of the plan, that also involves reconstruction of bridges and marshalling yards along the route.
Aurangzeb has commissioned feasibility studies for the introduction of improved train services on six other routes across the province:
- Lahore - Shahdara - Narowal
- Lahore - Raiwind - Kasur - Pakpattan - Lodhran
- Sheikhupura - Jaranwala - Shorkot
- Shorkot - Jhang - Sargodha
- Lala Musa - Sargodha via Mandi Bahauddin, and
- Faisalabad - Chak Jhumra - Shahinabad.
The studies are due for completion by the end of June.
