Pakistan Railways is undertaking various steps to upgrade three main railway tracks including Main Line (ML-1), ML-2 and ML-3 under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The upgradation and doubling of 1872 kilometers long ML-1 of Railways from Karachi to Peshawar including 55-km Taxila-Havelian section is being made.

Additionally, the establishment of dry port near Havelian has been declared ‘Early Harvest Project’ under CPEC, official sources in the ministry told APP.

They said the project also includes doubling of track from Shandara to Peshawar Cantt and increasing of speed to 160 km per hour, where it is possible.

The project would be initiated shortly and is expected to complete in a period of five years, the sources added.

The ML-2 is 1254 kilometre long alternate railway line from Kotri to Attock City via Dadu-Larkana Jacobabad-Dera Ghazi Khan-Bhakkar Kundian, they added.

The sources said the upgradation of ML-2 was part of the CPEC but included in midterm (2020-2025). The feasibility study has been completed by the consultant and is under the scrutiny of the railways officers.

They said the existing railway line from Rohri to Kohi-Taftan via Quetta and Sibi-Spezand section (1022 Kms) and rail link from Quetta to Kotla Jam (538 Kms) was called as ML-3 which will be used for exploitation of full capacity of Gwadar Port and anticipated traffic from China after the establishment of CPEC.

The sources said the feasibility study of the project has been approved by the Planning Commission in January this year and the bidding process for its award was in process.

To a question, they said that Mass Transit/Circular Railways was purely a provincial subject. However, Pakistan Railways provide technical assistance as and when required by the concerned provincial departments.

They said a proposal was under consideration by the Transport and Mass Transit Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for Circular Rail Track from Peshawar to Nowshera, Mardan, Charsadda and back to Peshawar.