ML-1 project with: Revised agreement likely to be signed with China

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is all set to sign a revised agreement on the ML-1 project with China under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) during the prime minister of Pakistan’s upcoming visit to China starting from October 17, senior Pakistan Railways (PR) officials said.

The officials said that in this connection a high-level meeting of Pakistan Railways presided over by the Federal Secretary for Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah was held here on Thursday to review the preparations of the upcoming visit to China on the eve of the Belt and Road Forum (BRF).

The Ministry of Railways has planned to promote the ML-1 project for early commencement of work.

In addition, other key railway projects would also be shared with investors for implementation.

Pakistan Railways officials said that the government of Pakistan will discuss and offer more investment opportunities to Chinese counterparts.

Some of the key projects would be Gwadar connectivity, upgradation of Quetta-Taftan rail link, a new link between Quetta-Zhob and Dera Ismail Khan, Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Karachi Port and Pipri, new rail link between Kohat, Thal, and Kharlachi, solarization in Railways and development and commercialization of railway stations. The secretary showed satisfaction at the level of preparation.

This ambitious endeavour of ML-1 will not only increase the line capacity between the two cities to accommodate 100 trains up and down, but it will also contribute to reducing the cost of the project from $10 billion to $6.6 billion through government efforts.

The officials said that soon the work on the project would be initiated after the signing of the revised agreement.

According to PR officials, completion of the ML-1 project and the upgradation of the countrywide railways’ infrastructure was a must to overcome financial losses which at present amount to Rs8 billion excluding Rs40 billion pension payments for the retired employees, senior officials said.

The PR officials have pinned the ML-1 project their focus of attention to take the railways out of decline and towards prosperity.

The ML-1 project aims to establish a double line spanning 1,733 km from Peshawar to Karachi, with train speeds ranging between 140 to 160 km.

Furthermore, it is expected to elevate the market freight share of the railways from four percent to 20 percent, providing employment opportunities for 20,000 technical experts and boosting Pakistan’s labour ratio to 90 per cent.

According to senior PR officials, the PR management is working on short-term as well as on long-term projects to overcome financial losses and make the entity a profit-making public sector organisation.

Moreover, in the long run the management is seriously taking the completion of projects like the ML-1 and the Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Railway initiative, aiming to revitalise the railway system and steer it towards prosperity.

Officials said that no significant improvements have been made to Pakistan’s railway track system since the country’s formation. The nation continues to rely on railway infrastructure that was constructed by the British over 150 years ago, highlighting the urgent need for modernisation and maintenance.

Many railway bridges in Pakistan have expired, with the majority of them being over 100 years old. However, the successive governments have not shown serious attention towards overhauling these crumbling structures, adding that the ML-1 project from Karachi to Peshawar was a significant one but sabotaged by the previous government.

On July 18th, protocols and road maps were signed to connect Pakistan with Central Asia, Russia, and the Baltic states. The comprehensive plan includes the construction of a 191 km track from Kharlachi and a 674 km track from Kharlachi to Mazar Sharif, with an existing track already in place from Mazar-e-Sharif to Tirmaz.

Highlighting the dire circumstances facing the railways, the railways minister noted that the organisation has encountered significant financial difficulties, exacerbated by the requirement to allocate funds for pensioners’ salaries.

Moreover, in August 2022 devastated floods, approximately 400 km of railway tracks were submerged, resulting in severe bridge impairments and the isolation of many regions, including Rohri, Sukkur, and Quetta.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023