ML-1 civil work likely to begin in next financial year: sources

LAHORE: The civil work on Main Line-1 (ML-1) project is likely to begin in next financial year as Pakistan is all set to sign a revised agreement on the project with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), ARY News reported on Friday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that the construction of Main Line-1 (ML-1) project – which will be carried out in three phases – would cost $6.7 billion under the revised plan.

Sources claimed that the construction in phase one will cost $2.7 billion, $2.6 billion in phase two and $1.4 billion in phase three.

ML-1 project, Pakistan’s first-ever state-of-the-art railway 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 project also included complete grade separation and fencing, making travel durations of 10 hours between Lahore and Karachi, 2.45 hours between Lahore and Rawalpindi, and 14.30 hours between Karachi and Peshawar.

The project features construction of railway tracks between Nawabshah to Rohri, Multan to Lahore, Lahore to Lalamusa, Kemari to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Multan, Lalamusa to Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi to Peshawar and Havelian Dry Port.

The upgradation of the railway tracks will enable the trains to run at 140kilometres per hour. The project also features the construction of 2,096 bridges/culverts, 1,300km of fencing, and 165/631-grade separation.

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.

Read More: ML-1 cost slashed to $6.6 bln under revised plan: sources

Earlier in October, it was reported that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project is likely to be completed with $6.6 billion cost, reduced from $9 billion.

Chinese officials will share the revised plan of the project with Pakistan’s Planning Commission after ‘one belt one road’ conference.

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.

“The planning ministry and Chinese officials have discussed the revised plan,” sources said.

“Secretary Railways and Secretary Communications had also attended the joint working group meeting,” according to sources. The cost of the Main Line-1 project was reduced with mutual consultation under the revised plan, sources added.