Work on $2.5bn Karachi-Peshawar ML-1 railway project to begin in January, expected to take up to 3 years to complete

Pakistan Railways (PR) expects civil work on the first phase of the $2.5 billion Main Line-1 (ML-1) project to start in January 2027, according to Dawn. The timeline reflects a push to meet a target set by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. An online early market engagement session with local and foreign contractors and consultants is scheduled for September 8.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told Dawn that tendering, bid shortlisting and contract awards are estimated to need four to five months. The first phase covers the 480km Karachi-Rohri/Sukkur section, where new tracks in both directions will be laid and fencing installed on both sides. Completion is expected within two and a half to three years, and the Asian Development Bank is set to finance the project while co-financing is explored from AIIB, EIN, the World Bank and IsDB.

A review meeting at PR headquarters, chaired by Railway Board Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah, set Oct 30, 2026 as the deadline for completing the review phase and ordered weekly progress checks. The second phase of market consultations will begin on September 8. PR said the scheme will draw on international experience, market proposals and expert views, with merit, transparency and competitiveness kept central.