Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi on Saturday said that the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project was the foundation for the development and modernization of Pakistan Railways,expressing satisfaction over progress made on the flagship project.
In a statement,the minister said upgradation of ML-1 would enhance train speeds,improve passenger facilities and strengthen the overall performance of Pakistan Railways.
He said merit,transparency and competition would be ensured at every stage of the project,adding that the best proposals and expert opinions would be incorporated to make the project more effective.
Hanif Abbasi said Prime Minister(PM),Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif was taking keen interest in the ML-1 project and had directed its completion within the stipulated time-frame.
The prime minister was also continuously monitoring progress on the project, he added.
Earlier, an important meeting on the ML-1 project was held at Pakistan Railways Headquarters under the chairmanship of Chairman Pakistan Railways Syed Mazhar Ali Shah. International design and review consultants as well as senior railway officials attended the meeting.
The meeting reviewed key matters relating to the upgradation of the Karachi-Rohri section and directed that the review phase of ML-1 be completed by October 30, 2026.
The participants were also directed to ensure continuous monitoring and hold weekly reviews of the project’s progress.
It was decided to launch the second phase of market consultation for the ML-1 project on September 8,2026 during which detailed discussions would be held on project preparation and the future course of action.
Pakistan Railways would benefit from proposals,expertise and experience gathered through the market consultation to further improve the ML-1 project, the meeting was informed.
The minister expressed optimism over the prospects of launching the flagship ML-1 project this year,saying that progress made so far was encouraging.
