Pakistan’s Fastest Passenger Train vs India’s Vande Bharat: How Speeds Compare

Swift Summary

• Pakistan’s fastest passenger train, teh Karakoram Express, connects Karachi to Lahore over 1,241 kilometers and completes the journey in around 17 hours and 45 minutes.
• the train primarily operates on the Karachi-Peshawar Main Line (ML-1) but extends to other routes like Khanewal-Wazirabad and Shahdara Bagh-Sangla Hill for added connectivity.
• Launched on August 14, 2002, during President Pervez Musharraf’s tenure as part of Pakistan Railways’ modernization efforts. Other trains like Karachi Express and Shalimar Express were also upgraded during this period.
• India’s fastest trains – Vande Bharat Express (speed of up to 180 km/hr), Tejas Express, Gatimaan Express, Rajdhani, and Duronto – have speeds exceeding those of the Karakoram Express.

Indian Opinion Analysis
While Pakistan’s Karakoram Express offers pleasant travel across significant regions with its long-standing operational framework since its launch in 2002, it lags behind India’s advanced railway infrastructure in terms of speed and network scale. The Vande Bharat express exemplifies India’s modernization efforts by achieving speeds up to 180 km/hr compared to slower counterparts elsewhere in South asia. With more than 12,000 daily train operations catering both urban centers and rural areas alike, India’s railways demonstrate an expansive scope that positions them as a regional leader in transportation capacity and innovation. This disparity underscores differences not just in technology adoption but also strategic investments over time between neighboring countries’ railway systems.

Read More