ISLAMABAD (HRNW) – The Ministry of Railways has presented a comprehensive plan in the National Assembly for the upgradation of the 1,726-kilometer-long ML-1 railway track stretching from Karachi to Peshawar.
According to official documents, the mega railway project will be completed in five phases at an estimated total cost of $6.66 billion.
In the first phase, the 480-kilometer Karachi-to-Rohri railway section will be upgraded starting this year, and the foundation stone of the project is also expected to be laid during the same period. The cost of this section is estimated at nearly $2 billion, with a completion target of three years.
The second phase includes the upgradation of the 449-kilometer Rohri-to-Multan track at a projected cost of $1.26 billion, also scheduled for completion within three years.
In the third phase, the 334-kilometer railway track from Multan to Lahore will be modernized at a cost of $880 million, with an estimated completion period of two years.
The fourth phase involves the improvement of the 289-kilometer Lahore-to-Rawalpindi railway line. Officials estimate this section will cost around $1.56 billion and will be completed within three years.
Under the fifth and final phase, the 174-kilometer Rawalpindi-to-Peshawar railway track will be upgraded at a cost of approximately $920 million, with completion expected within two years.
According to the Ministry of Railways, the ML-1 project will significantly improve Pakistan’s railway infrastructure, reduce travel time, and modernize the country’s freight transportation system.
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