LAHORE: The Pakistan Railways on Wednesday submitted the updated PC-1 of Main Line-1 (ML-1) project to the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.
According to sources, the revised PC-1, featuring downward revision of the overall cost from $9.248 billion to $9.172 billion dollars, had paved the way for formal initiation of work on the project after its approval by the Executive Committee National Economic Council (ECNEC) in April this year.
The PR would take charge of managing the project with a new administrative structure and more efficient human resources, sources said, added the project would create as many as 100,000 jobs.
Sources said the ML-1 would be completed in three phases, while the upgradation of existing track along with laying of a double line would make it possible to run train at the speed of 120 to 160 kilometres per hour.
The project, therefore, would bring about efficiency in terms of time, fuel consumption and environment, sources added.
The completion of the project will reduce travel time significantly between main cities such as Karachi and Lahore by 10 hours, Islamabad and Lahore by 2.5 hours, Lahore and Multan by 3 hours, Peshawar and Islamabad by 1.5 hours, while Karachi and Hyderabad by 80 minutes.
The 1,872km track includes Karachi to Peshawar and Taxilla to Havelian mainlines as well.
