Pakistan Railways plans to begin work on the long-delayed Main Line-1 project during the current year.
The department will allocate Rs. 25 billion from the Rs. 40 billion received for the project. The Railway Board secretary shared the details with the Senate Standing Committee on Railways on Monday.
Officials aim to complete the ML-1 project within three years, subject to available resources and progress.
Pakistan Railways Faces Funding Shortage
The department continues to face financial challenges while implementing major railway infrastructure projects.
Railways had requested Rs. 180 billion from the federal government during the previous fiscal year.
However, the federal government released only Rs. 40 billion. Due to limited resources, the department has prioritized projects according to available funding.
Officials described the planned work as the first actual start of ML-1 construction in Pakistan Railways’ history.
ML-1 remains one of the country’s major planned railway infrastructure projects.
Funding Allocated for Railway Track Rehabilitation
The government has also allocated funds for several railway rehabilitation and safety projects. Around Rs. 307.993 million has been allocated for the Kotri-Akhandabad track during FY2026-27.
Another Rs. 2.778 billion has been earmarked for urgent safety work on the Rohri-Khanpur railway section. The government has allocated Rs. 200 million for essential safety work between Keamari and Hyderabad.
However, progress on this section remains slow because of limited funding.
Officials told the committee that only 4% of the project has been completed.
Kotri-Dadu Project Reaches 80% Completion
Progress on the Kotri-Dadu section has been considerably faster. Officials said around 80% of the project has already been completed.
Construction work on railway stations is still underway.
Railways expects the remaining work on the section to be completed by June 2027.
The Senate committee also discussed the condition of the Sukkur-Rohri railway section. Committee member Wasim Qadir proposed sending a special request to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Members of the committee unanimously approved the proposal.
Safety Concerns Raised Over Railway Tracks
Work on the Khanewal-Shorkot section through Faisalabad has reached only 10%. Officials attributed the slow pace to inadequate funding.
Only Rs. 180 million has been allocated for this project. Committee member Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto also raised concerns about railway safety across Pakistan.
She said deteriorating railway tracks were contributing to frequent train derailments. She also expressed concern about limited attention and funding for the Ministry of Railways.
Despite these financial challenges, Railways plans to begin ML-1 work using the available allocation.
In other news read more about: Pakistan Railways: A Colonial-Era Network Running on Losses
The Rs. 25 billion commitment marks a significant step toward starting the long-delayed railway project.
