ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Railways has presented a detailed plan in the National Assembly for the upgradation of the 1,726-kilometre Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track stretching from Karachi to Peshawar.
According to official documents, the mega project will be completed in five phases at an estimated cost of $6.66 billion.
The first phase will focus on the 480-kilometre Karachi-to-Rohri railway section, with construction expected to begin after a groundbreaking ceremony later this year. The cost of this phase has been estimated at nearly $2 billion and is expected to be completed within three years.
In the second phase, the 449-kilometre Rohri-to-Multan section will be upgraded at a projected cost of $1.26 billion.
The ministry stated that the third phase will involve the upgradation of the 334-kilometre Multan-to-Lahore track. This section is estimated to cost around $880 million and is targeted for completion within two years.
Under the fourth phase, the Lahore-to-Rawalpindi railway track will be modernised. The 289-kilometre section is expected to cost approximately $1.56 billion and will be completed over a three-year period.
The final phase includes the upgradation of the 174-kilometre Rawalpindi-to-Peshawar section, which is estimated to cost $920 million and is expected to be completed within two years.
According to the government, the ML-1 project will play a key role in modernising Pakistan’s railway infrastructure, reducing travel time and improving the country’s freight transportation system.
