PM Shehbaz directs acceleration of ML-1 project upgrade, corporate-style reforms in railways

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif instructed officials to expedite the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway upgrade and implement corporate-style reforms at Pakistan Railways. The ML-1 project aims to enhance connectivity between Karachi and Peshawar for both freight and passenger services. During a meeting on Pakistan Railways, the prime minister commended the efforts of NAB and the Ministry of Railways in identifying and reclaiming encroached railway land.

He emphasized the importance of modernizing ML-1 for improved passenger services and increased freight transport. The prime minister directed that ML-1 be developed on a commercial basis, utilizing identified railway land worth billions of rupees for commercial purposes. He stressed the need to harness the real commercial potential of railway properties to contribute to the national economy and self-sufficiency of Pakistan Railways.

The railway minister is working to make the organization profitable and enhance its operations. The PM approved securing bank financing through commercial projects on railway land. The ML-1 upgrade, spanning 1,726 kilometers, has been divided into four major sections. International funding is supporting the Karachi-Rohri section, while domestic resources will finance the remaining sections.

Civil work on the first phase of ML-1 is expected to commence in January 2027, with the project lasting between two and a half to three years. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has finalized a $1.1 billion investment program to enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of railway transport along ML-1 between Karachi and Rohri by 2040.