Bullet train for Lahore, Rawalpindi approved

[A.Rahman]

Bullet train for Lahore, Rawalpindi approved

Published: Monday, 31 July, 2006, 12:59 PM Doha Time

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf has approved introduction of “bullet train” between Rawalpindi and Lahore.
Federal Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmad said the speed of the bullet train would be 250km per hour and it would reach Lahore in one hour and 15 minutes.

Ahmad said a separate track on standard gauge would be laid along the existing tracks but will have fully fenced to avoid any interference. The feasibility study for this project would be completed in four months, he said.
Musharraf had desired to inaugurate the bullet train himself, the minister said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the opening of the high-speed passenger coach workshop at the Carriage Factory in Islamabad, Musharraf said Pakistan would be converted into a trade corridor by linking Gwadar deep seaport with the regional countries through an efficient communication infrastructure including rail network.

The opening of the workshop has taken Pakistan Railways towards self-reliance and modernisation.
The capacity of the factory to fabricate, renovate, rehabilitate and converse passenger coaches has now been increased from 150 to 225 coaches annually.

Referring to Pakistan’s geo-strategic location, Musharraf said Pakistan served as an economic and trade hub to the Central Asian Republics, the Gulf, the Middle East, Western China and South Asia.

The railways will be upgraded and modernised along with efficient network of roads and ports for promoting regional trade, he declared.
Earlier, Ahmad informed the president about the future expansion plans and modernisation of Pakistan Railways including laying of rail tracks linking Gwadar with Quetta and onward to Chaman on Iranian border and Spin Boldak on the Afghan border at an estimated cost of Rs75bn.

The president gave his approval to a pre-feasibility study for laying rail tracks from Havelian to Khunjrab Pass to be conducted by a German firm to link China with the Gwadar Deep Seaport. – Internews

http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/arti...41&parent_id=23

 

[Trooper]

it is good to hear!

 

[Muradk]

Congrats it only took them 18 years to decide, 18 years back the plan of having a BT was in place, we had the money and resources but the track had to go throught some important military and non Military officials land, and we cant have that so the plan was dumped with some scary stories, I remember the 3 point it said because punjab being and agri land we have a lot of Animals for example Cows , Goats etc. what if they come in front of it and they had all kinds of bull in it. I remember Shabaz Sharif saying it will be
atleats 15 to 20 feet hight so no cow or goat can climb it. But once again our system failed because of people came first than our country.

 

[Bushroda]

News report dates back to july 2006. What is the current update?

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Nice news to hear!

 

[PakForce Unlimited]

Bullet train plan gets under way​

February 11, 2007
ISLAMABAD, Feb 10: The bullet train plan of Pakistan Railways kicked off on Saturday when a consortium of three countries was awarded contract to undertake feasibility study of the project, which would make Pakistan a rail-friendly country.

By initiating the feasibility study, Pakistan has thus become the first country in South Asia to take the initiative of bullet train which is very much a pioneering train with a very high speed record.

Under the agreement signed in Islamabad, ‘MR Consult’ will complete the feasibility study at a total cost of Rs23.97 million, and submit it to Pakistan Railways in October this year. Politically, the month of October will be crucial when preparations for general elections and the election of the president will be on top gear.

The ‘MR Consult’ is composed of Austria GEO Consult; Typsa of Spain and Myco and Survey (Pvt) Ltd of Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, who was present at the signing ceremony, said the bullet train would cover the distance between Rawalpindi and Lahore in only 75 minutes.

The major elements of the feasibility study would be to work out the shortest possible distance, fare regime and timeframe to recover the investment. When the dream would become a reality, people would have a fair choice of travelling between Rawalpindi and Lahore section by train or by air but this would depend on the fare.

The present distance of 288km between Rawalpindi and Lahore will be further reduced with the realignment of the track by removing 55 curves between Sohawa and Dina. But for the bullet train, it has been proposed to lay double track to be covered on both sides with wall in city limits and fences in unpopulated areas.

The bullet train could be thought of as the world’s first high speed train. Services started in 1964 with speeds at 210km/h or 131mph, the fastest trains went at the time, and many countries, including the United States still have no trains running at this speed. At the time the concept of “high speed” was not really established as it is now.

Indeed many say it was the success of the bullet train which led to Europe taking interest in making trains go fast. Since then the trains have been going faster and faster.

Link: Bullet train plan gets under way -DAWN - National; February 11, 2007

 

[khanz]

thats like a year old

 

[ahussains]

How many years it takes to deploy the track .. while over OLD track was not yet be doubled ??

 

[Python]

dont u think ,its wastage of money?

i think it will be better if pak rail improves its infrastructure and increase the train speed to 150 kmph

As there are still many km of track whch r on meter gauge!

spending +1000 crore rs on bullet train wont be that fruitful..
and cost of running bullet train will nt be economical(once pak railways r already in losses)

it would be better if they increse their manufacturing capacity to produce wagons and engines which they are presently importing from china!!


i think its 2 lavish and its wont serve the purpose!!

 

[PakForce Unlimited]

dont u think ,its wastage of money?

i think it will be better if pak rail improves its infrastructure and increase the train speed to 150 kmph

As there are still many km of track whch r on meter gauge!

spending +1000 rs on bullet train wont be that fruitful..
and cost of running bullet train will nt be economical(once pak railways r already in losses)

it would be better if they increse their manufacturing capacity to produce wagons and engines which they are presently importing from china!!


i think its 2 lavish and its wont serve the purpose!!

I think if the bullet train is established between the two big cities, it might get populuar, with a travel time on 75 minutes people will prefer to take the train instead of bus which will use several hours and even airplane, because of time spent to get to the city airport, security check, wait at gate, and then get to the other airport and the same thing again.

High speed train will be more attractive because it is safer, more environmentally friendly and best of all, city centre to city centre transport. This has proven good in Europe, example Germany, France and so on.

 

[sparten]

They should try one between Peshawar and Islamabad. Shorter distance and will actually make money, most of Islamabad's working class and lower middle class are from the Frontier. As opposed to Lahore whose economy is linked more with the S Punjab than with the Potohar.

 

[Proud to be Pakistani]

Bullet trains are the best means of Transport in Europe and should encourage people to move around cities for Business and pleasure without spending too much money.

Secondly Pakistan is not now importing Coaches on large scale from China. Engines are imported thou. Coaches are mostly manufactured by Pakistan Railways Golara Workshop, Islamabad.

 

[Contrarian]

Good for Pakistan. In India they did a study and they said bullet trains are not suitable for Indian conditions so only faster trains relatively not the BT.

 

[Flintlock]

In India, bullet trains on a large scale are definitely not feasible. They will be expensive, difficult to recover costs, and frankly, it will be beyond the Indian Railways to keep them working.

 

[Bushroda]

High Speed Rails(HSRs) have their own benefits but they don't usually make profits. The benefits are in the form of increased connectivity. As I read the distance between Lahore & Rawalpindi is nearly 300Kms.As on today, It would be impossible to travel on daily basis between the two cities for work. But with HSR connectivity it could enable people to travel almost daily. Now, I believe Lahore is a major business centre in Pakistan & with HSR connectivity it can boost of increased labout pool for the city. Though only a proper business feasibility study would reveal the benefits. If the business benefits outweigh the losses than I don't see why Bullet train shouldn't be implemented between Rawalpindi-Lahore.