The Ministry of Railways revealed comprehensive plans to upgrade the 1,726-kilometer Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track stretching from Karachi to Peshawar. The project, valued at $6.66 billion, was presented in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Outlined in official documents, the extensive rail modernisation effort will be implemented in five distinct phases. The initial phase will focus on the Karachi-Rohri segment, covering 480 kilometers. Construction for this section is slated to commence later this year, following a groundbreaking ceremony. This phase is budgeted at $2 billion and is expected to reach completion within three years.
Subsequently, the second phase will upgrade the 449-kilometer Rohri-Multan railway stretch, with an estimated cost of $1.26 billion. Work on this section is also projected to conclude within three years.
The third phase targets the 334-kilometer Multan-Lahore segment, with a budget of $880 million and a planned completion timeline of two years.
Meanwhile, the fourth phase involves modernising the 289-kilometer Lahore-Rawalpindi track at an estimated cost of $1.56 billion, with a three-year completion goal.
In the final phase, the 174-kilometer Rawalpindi-Peshawar section will be upgraded, costing approximately $920 million and expected to be completed within two years.
This ML-1 initiative represents the most significant railway infrastructure project in Pakistan’s history. It is designed to modernise the rail network by enhancing train speeds and boosting both freight and passenger transport connectivity nationwide.
