Muneeb ur Rehman

The medium and long-term projects being launched under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will help modernise and revitalise the Pakistan’s outdated and ailing railway infrastructure, thereby promising a substantial development in the nation’s overall transportation network. Talking to WealthPK, Mustafa Sayed, Executive Director of Pakistan-China Institute, Islamabad, said that among the other projects, the Mainline 1, commonly known as ML-1 railway project, is worth mentioning. “Both China and Pakistan have most recently shown their commitment to initiating the project on a priority basis.” According to CPEC’s official website, the ML-1 project aims to upgrade the country’s existing 2,655 km of railway tracks, enabling trains to achieve speeds of up to 165km per hour. This upgrade will significantly increase line capacity from 34 to more than 150 trains per day in both directions.

The implementation of the ML-1 project will follow the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, facilitated by a public-private partnership mechanism. Mustafa maintained that a new railway line would be laid from Quetta in Balochistan to Kotla Jam in Punjab on ML-2 via Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan. He said that the project was strategic in the sense that it would connect three provinces of Pakistan. While mentioning the proposed reconstruction of the Quetta-Taftan railway track, he said: “The 633-kilometre-long railway line will significantly enhance people’s mobility and trade. The upgradation of the track will mark the economic prosperity of the region through enhanced connectivity.”

In addition, he said that the 43-kilometre Karachi Circular Railway project, which is being built on a public-private partnership model at an estimated cost of $1.9 billion, would be a game changer for the residents of the largest city of Pakistan. He pointed out that owing to a lack of resources, the successive governments could not upgrade the railway system, regarded as the backbone of low-cost goods and human transportation. However, he said the projects being executed under CPEC would go a long way in revitalising Pakistan’s struggling railway network. “This significant investment is set to bring about a transformative change not only in the country’s transportation infrastructure but also in fostering economic growth, regional connectivity, and enhancing the overall well-being of the nation.”

Credit: INP-WealthPk