Main Line-1 project work will begin soon: Railways Secretary

KARACHI: The work on the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project will begin soon, federal secretary railways said here in a meeting of the Ministry of Railways.

Secretary Railways Mazhar Ali Shah was chairing a meeting with regard to preparations for the upcoming visit of China.

“A comprehensive Main Line-1 project has been prepared with China,” he said. “The Railway will also present other projects for investment at the Belt and Road Forum,” he said.

Belt and Road Forum will be held in Beijing on October 17 and 18.

Gwadar Connectivity, Quetta-Taftan Railway Link, a new link between Quetta, Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan will be among various projects, railway secretary said.

He said that a dedicated freight corridor between Karachi Port and Pipri, a new rail link between Kohat, Thall and Kharlachi and solarization in railway, development of stations and commercialization projects will also be presented.

The Main Line-1 railway project is likely to be completed with $6.6 billion cost, reduced from $9 billion, sources earlier stated.

The ML-1 project’s cost will be reduced by $2.4 billion in the revised plan, sources said. “The sides were agreed over revised plan of the project in the joint working group session held in China,” sources said.

In October 2020, Pakistan and China had agreed to start a $10 billion Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project from Karachi to Peshawar. Pakistan will provide 15% financing for the project.

The ML-1 project aims upgrading and doubling of the 1733-kilometre railway track from Karachi to Peshawar besides the installation of modern signaling and telecom systems. The upgradation of the railway tracks will enable the trains to run at 140kilometres per hour.

Pakistan and China had signed the Main Line-1 (ML-1) framework in May 2017 and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the project in August 2020.