Report by Engineering Post
Up gradation and Rehabilitation of Pakistan Railway’s Main Line (ML-1) is the mega project fate of which has been hanging for quite some time mainly due to its financing problem.
ML-1 is a major project to be undertaken within the overall framework of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.(CPEC).
Hopes for its revival have been revived yet again when it was considered by the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) recently at a downwardly revised cost of $ 6.68 billion against previous high cost of $ 9.85 billion and forwarded to be consideration and approval at the revised cost by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC). According to the information available, as much as 85 percent of the revised cost will be financed by China as a concessional financial loan and the balance of 15 percent will be provided by Pakistan from its own resources.
Agreement for financing ML-1. mega project is most likely to be signed by the Chinese Premier during his upcoming three days official visit Pakistan next month for attending the SCO Summit on October 15 and 16, 2024 in Islamabad and afterwards paying one day official visit to the host country during which number of agreements and Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including one for ML-1 financing are expected to be signed.
Under the ML-1 Rehabilitation and Dualization of the rail track from Karachi to Peshawar spanning a total of 1726 kilometers, Pakistan railways network will be expanded and modernized by constructing an additional rail track.
Under the mega project which is expected to be accomplished by around 2032 , passenger and goods trains will be increased substantially from the present speed from the current lower speed of both passenger and goods trains due to varying factors.
It may be mentioned here that Upgradation of Pakistan Railways existing Main Line (ML-1) and establishment of Dry Port near Havelian Phase-1 (CPEC) project was earlier considered and approved by ECNEC in October 2022 at a cost of Rs 1970215.800 million including Foreign Aid of Rs 1674683.430 million and it has been listed as the same in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2024-25..Revised cost figures of the mega project have not been mentioned in the PSDP 2024-25 document which has been published a couple of months later though it usually is published by the Planning, Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives when the federal budget for new financial year is announced usually in the month of June .
Another related project for Preliminary Design/Drawings for the ML-1 and hiring of design/designs vetting consultants was approved by the ECNEC in April 2017..
There is lot more which can be mentioned here about deteriorated trains operating conditions in the country for some time owing to no repairs and rehabilitation mainly due to lack of ample resources required besides lack of initiatives by the high ups of the Railways Ministry which was not being stated now for want of space, please.
