The federal government has moved forward with plans to start a high-speed rail link between Islamabad and Rawalpindi to cut travel time, ease traffic congestion, and provide an affordable commuting option for residents of the twin cities.
According to officials, the service is expected to be launched on March 23, initially using the existing railway track. The route will connect Margalla Railway Station in Islamabad to Saddar Railway Station in Rawalpindi, allowing passengers to cover the distance in just 20 minutes.
The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi at the Capital Development Authority (CDA) headquarters. Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, senior officials from Pakistan Railways, the CDA, the Rawalpindi Commissioner’s Office, and law enforcement agencies also attended.
Railway Minister Abbasi said the project would use modern Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs), likely to be imported from China or another country, with procurement expected to take at least a month. The formal PC-I of the project will be submitted to the Planning Division in the coming weeks.
To strengthen connectivity, CDA’s electric buses will serve as feeder services to Margalla Station, while existing Metro bus links will also integrate with the new system.
Under the plan, Pakistan Railways will provide and maintain track infrastructure, while the CDA will oversee operations. The framework agreement is expected to be signed next week.
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Where is the track?
To facilitate specially federal secretariat employees a similar train service twice a day between Rawalpindi and Islamabad was started with the collaboration of Pakistan Railway and CDA during Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto second tenure and was shutdown only after few months due to hundred percent flopped. I personally liking and backing govt decision to start world class modern train shuttle service but will not only be limited to between rawalpindi and islamabad but if has to also includes the other small towns like wah cantt, barakhau and muree.
It will be fruitfull for residences of twin cities, but it’s more important to provide these facilities to other cities of the country as Metro, CDA and many other electric bus services are already on the roads of twin cities. An additional train should not be started.
No need to build isd -rwp train project and will be wastage of money cos both cities are located very close to each other and well connected with metro bus . 20 mnts time is absolutely nothing to travel between the two cities.
On the contrary, the funds need to be consumed for cities contributing a lot more paying tax, I.e karachi and Hyderabad which have always been ignored and undergoing biased treatment since very long when it comes to development projects.
Why karachi and Hyderabad railway stations are not being renovated like lhr rwp and other punjab stations? People travel in extreme pain and no proper transit system available here.
Why khi metro train or kcr not included in cpec despite severe demand ,bullet train is going to be a dire need for karachi where people travel time becomes more than hours.
Railway ministry must consider this for economic and business hub, KARACHI, that runs pakistan.
absolutely Right 👍
Assalaam-O-Alaikum. A very encouraging step taken by the Railway and CDA for the easement of commuters travelling between Rawalpindi and Islamabad.Wish you all success in the project.
There is a question that why Govt spend the money on this kind of project. Please spend that money for rural area roads and development. Twin city people already enjoy the metro service and green bus service. This is the time spend money on flooded areas for health, for irrigation and help the effected people.
Very good
Very good idea. It’ll serve residents of twin cities at large. Here I may suggest that instead of full train, a small version of twin bogey railcar service will be an ideal solution. In the past, twin bogey railcars were plying between various cities for short distances. As travel time from saddar to margala station will only be 20 minutes, so two sets of railcars can run between both stations on hourly basis using already existing railway track. Also, I may add that Margala station can be connected to Islamabad airport by using railcars on existing railway track via Tarnol station to Fazaia and then an extension of a kilometer or two of railway track from Fazaia to airport. It’ll not only serve commuters to travel between pindi-Islamabad and airport but will also be useful for the people of Tarnol, F-17, Faisal Town F-18, Fazaia, Pechs, Mumtaz City, Top City, E-17, E-18 & surrounding areas.
Already metro bus is there and margalla train station is not linked to metro bus. Train station should be connected to bus station. Otherwise the project will be flop. In canada it’s connected.
قائد اعظم یونیورسٹی اسلام آباد مالی بحران کے وجہ سے تباہی کے کنارے کھڑی ھے۔۔۔قوم کھربوں کی مقروض ھے۔۔۔خدا را یہ عیاشیاں بند کرو
Excellent Decision.
May Almighty Allah make it a good decision and help us in the timely completion of project Ameen
High speed train should be start from Marrir Hasan to 9th Avenue ( Metro station ) Islamabad. If possible track maybe extended upto Lake View Park Islamabad
No need for ISB-RWP ,it is already connected very well.close proximity.Reducing 10 minutes is not an efficient investment,also usually government always remain in loss for these projects.Instead this investment should be done in Karachi and Hyderabad where basic travel facilities are in alarming condition.You enter Sindh and you think you have entered a backward village till you reach Karachi.Even no qiyam o tayam area in between,no standard rest places, washrooms.They need this more than Lahore and Islamabad,who have always got investment no matter the need exist or not