ISLAMABAD, Sept 30: Federal Minister for Railways Shaikh Rashid Ahmad pledged on Saturday that the spadework for the bullet train and mass transit projects would be completed before the next general elections.

Speaking at an iftar-dinner which he hosted for the journalists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Shaikh Rashid said international firms had shown great interest in the bullet train project.

He said the train would run between Rawalpindi and Lahore on a broad gauge track and some of the firms have offered to complete the project on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis. Chinese and German firms have been given the contract to carry out feasibility study of the project, he added.