Pakistan Railways and the Punjab government signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today, April 17, 2026. Consequently, they will launch the country’s first fast train. Chief Minister of Punjab Maryam Nawaz and Railway Minister Hanif Abbasi signed this agreement. This initiative officially pushes Punjab into a new era of railway transport.
The newly announced fast train targets the major Lahore-Rawalpindi route. Importantly, it will cut travel times significantly. The fast train will complete the journey between Lahore and Rawalpindi in just 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Furthermore, the government will operate modern trains on eight additional local routes. Therefore, Pakistan Railways will manage a total of nine upgraded services across the province.
The table below outlines the specific local routes and distances detailed in the agreement:
| Route | Distance |
|---|---|
| Narowal to Sialkot | 62 km |
| Faisalabad – Chack Jhumra – Shaheenabad | 68 km |
| Shahdara to Narowal | 79 km |
| Sheikhupura – Jaranwala – Shorkot | 220 km |
| Kot Addu – Dera Ghazi Khan – Kashmore | 303 km |
| Raiwind – Kasur – Pakpattan – Lodhran | 370 km |
Overall, these massive infrastructure upgrades will directly impact provincial travel. The introduction of these new train services across all nine routes will benefit approximately 9 million passengers throughout Punjab.
