ML-1 Upradation project is expected to be initiated in 2021 once the project gets approval from Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC).
The ML-1 upgradation project has been divided onto three packages and would be completed in phases. Final completion of the project is estimated by December 2029
Package-I is proposed to be executed in January, 2021, and would be completed with proposed $3.37 billion in four year i.e. by December 2024.
Package-II is proposed to be executed in January, 2022, and would be completed in five year i.e. by December, 2026 with proposed amount of $2.24 billion.
Package-III is proposed to be executed in January, 2023 and would be completed by December, 2029 with proposed amount of $3.56 billion.
Railways project will consist of early harvest, ML-1 upgrade and establishment of dry port; mid-term, establishing new rail link from Gwadar to Mastung and Besima to Jacobabad; and long-term, establishing new rail link from Havelian to Khunjrab (China border).
With the up-gradation of ML-1, train speed will increase from the current 65-105 km to 120-160 km, line capacity from 34 to 171 trains each way per day, freight volumes from six to 35 million tons per annum by 2025, railway share of freight transport volume from less than four percent to 20 percent.
