Key points
- $6.7b project to modernise Karachi–Peshawar route
- ADB team inspects 480 km section for feasibility
- China remains primary financier of CPEC-linked project
- Upgrade aims to boost freight, passenger, and trade flow
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is considering financial assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the long-delayed Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway upgrade — a flagship project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) — as an ADB fact-finding team inspected a section of the railway line on Saturday, according to an official statement.
The ML-1 project, valued at $6.7 billion, involves upgrading the 1,687-kilometre Karachi–Peshawar rail line. It is a key component of CPEC, aimed at doubling the track, introducing modern signalling systems, and enabling higher-speed trains, according to Arab News.
Once completed, the project is expected to significantly increase both freight and passenger capacity, while facilitating smoother trade flows to and from Pakistan’s southern ports.
ADB’s fact-finding team
“Experts from the Asian Development Bank inspected the Karachi to Rohri railway line today,” Pakistan Railways said in a statement. “The Bank’s Chief Transport Planner, Sangyoon Kim, carried out the 480-kilometre inspection along with the chief engineer (open lines) of Pakistan Railways.”
The statement added that ADB’s fact-finding team would now compile a report assessing the project’s readiness, which will inform the Bank’s final decision on financing.
ML-1 forms the backbone of Pakistan’s rail network, handling a significant portion of national cargo and passenger traffic. Though approved by the Economic Coordination Committee in 2020, the project has faced repeated delays due to funding constraints.
Feasibility assessment
Speaking to the media, Babar Ali Raza, spokesperson for the Ministry of Railways, clarified that ADB is currently conducting its own feasibility assessment.
“China remains the main financier,” he said. “The ADB team is reviewing the project to determine whether and to what extent it can provide funding.”
“This would be ADB’s own contribution,” he added, “whatever amount they deem suitable.”
CPEC has been hailed by both Pakistan and China as a “game-changer” for the region, encompassing multibillion-dollar infrastructure developments in transport, energy, and logistics.
The two countries are also pursuing broader regional connectivity goals, with Pakistan promoting economic diplomacy and offering access to its southern ports for trade from landlocked Central Asian nations.
