Pakistan targets 120 train pairs as $2.5bn ML-1 upgrade advances

Pakistan is moving ahead with its Main Line-1 railway upgrade, a programme the government wants to lift train capacity more than threefold, according to Mettis Global. Speaking at the CAREC International Conference in Mongolia, Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal told development partners that the project is vital for trade, freight and regional links. The 1,726-kilometre Karachi-Peshawar route currently carries about 76% of passenger travel and 98% of freight on Pakistan Railways.

Under the plan, line capacity would rise to 120 train pairs from 34, while passenger trains could reach 160 kilometres per hour and freight would move at 80km/h, up from roughly 30km/h. Travel between Karachi and Rohri would drop from about eight hours to close to four and a half. Officials further expect freight volumes on the corridor to climb to nearly 21 million tonnes a year by 2035.

The Karachi-Rohri section is the most advanced part of the programme, with an estimated cost of about $2.5 billion. The Asian Development Bank leads the funding effort, with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and European Investment Bank named as potential co-financiers. Project-readiness funding is already in place and engineering work has begun, while procurement and financing steps are advancing. Pakistan is also seeking financing for the Rohri-Peshawar sections, and the immediate priority is implementing Karachi-Rohri.