Engineering Post Report
China’s Concessional Loan Financing Agreement for mega railways project Main Line -1 from Karachi to Peshawar is most likely to finalized during second quarter of current financial year i.e. October to December 2022.
Following this, arrangements will be made for ground breaking of the mega project project under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) umbrella which has been in the [pipeline for quite sometime.
Senior officials concerned of China and Pakistan are engaged in negotiating terms and conditions for China’s 6 billion US dollars loan and other necessary details in this regard for some time in order to accommodate each other’s points of view in a satisfactory and mutual understanding manner.
The mega project is to be completed in three phases over a period of nine years at an estimated cost of US $ 6806 through Chinese Government Concessional Loan and hopefully it will be generating as many as 24000 job opportunities in various categories during the construction period.
Mega project of ” Upgradation and Dualization of Main Line-1 from Karachi to Peshawar and and establishment of Dry Port near Havelian” runs into 1733 kilometers and envisages as briefly given below:
Upgradation and Dualization of Main Line-1 from Karachi to Peshawar and Taxila to Havelian
Laying of a new track with improved speed to 160 KMH.
Increase in speed from 65-105 KMH to 120-160 KMH for passenger and goods trains
Rehabilitation and Construction of main bridges
Provision of modern signalling and telecommunication systems
Conversion of level crossings into underpasses and fly overs
Fencing of track
Establishment of Dry Port near Havelian
Upgradation of Walton training Academy in Lahore..
Some details which were published in EP’s September 2022 issue under headline “Slow pace of Main Line-1 and Dry Port near Havelian projects” have been avoided for want of space, please.
