The Ministry of Railways presented details in the National Assembly of the planned upgrade of the 1,726-km Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway track from Karachi to Peshawar, with the project estimated to cost $6.66 billion.
According to official documents submitted to parliament, the strategic rail modernisation project will be executed in five phases.
Karachi-Rohri section to launch first
According to the ministry, the first phase will cover the 480-km Karachi-Rohri section, with construction expected to begin later this year following the groundbreaking ceremony.
The estimated cost of the Karachi-Rohri upgrade has been set at $2 billion, and the project is expected to be completed within three years.
Rohri-Multan, Multan-Lahore upgrades planned
In the second phase, authorities will upgrade the 449-km Rohri-Multan railway section at an estimated cost of $1.26 billion.
The ministry said work on that section is also expected to be completed within three years.
The third phase will involve the 334-km Multan-Lahore section, with an estimated cost of $880 million and a completion timeline of two years.
Lahore-Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi-Peshawar sections in final phases
Under the fourth phase, the 289-km Lahore-Rawalpindi railway track will be upgraded at an estimated cost of $1.56 billion.
The project is scheduled for completion within three years.
The fifth and final phase will cover the 174-km Rawalpindi-Peshawar section, with an estimated cost of $920 million and a projected completion period of two years.
The ML-1 project is considered Pakistan’s largest railway infrastructure initiative and is aimed at modernising the country’s rail network, improving train speeds and strengthening freight and passenger transport connectivity across the country.
