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

ISLAMABAD: The Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project is likely to be completed with $6.6 billion cost, reduced from $9 billion, citing sources ARY News reported on Saturday.

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.

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.

For reducing its cost, the fencing plan of entire railway track has been postponed, and the tracks will be fenced on in populated areas.

In the first phase, overhead bridges will be constructed, and railway crossings will be closed in populated areas.

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.