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.