ECNEC approves ML -1, dry port on sharing basis

The Executive committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the project of up-gradation of Pakistan Railways existing Mainline-1 (ML-1) and establishment of a dry port near Havelian at the rationalized cost of $6.806 billion on cost-sharing basis between the governments of China and Pakistan.
In the moot chaired by Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting and Chairman of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority Lieutenant General (Retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa said that ECNEC had approved the transformational railway project with the cost of $6.806 billion from Peshawar to Karachi (1872 KMs) including Havelian Dry Port and upgrading Walton Academy.
According to Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar ECNEC has approved the biggest project (ML-1) in Pakistan’s history.
The project would cost $6.806 billion. According to the ministry of finance, the execution of the project shall be in 3 packages, and to avoid commitment charges, the loan amount for each package will be separately contracted.
Under this project existing 2,655 KM track will be upgraded. The speed of passenger trains shall increase from 65/110 KM/h to 165 KM/h and line capacity will increase from 34 to 137/171 trains each way per day. Ministry of Railways would constitute a project steering committee for effective supervision and implementation of the project.
The line is 1,872 km long, including the 55 km long Taxila-Havelian section and 91 km long Lodhran-Khanewal section.
The project envisages upgrade of ML-1, the establishment of a dry port near Havelian Railway Station; upgrade of Pakistan Railway Academy Walton in Lahore; passenger facilities development of important railway stations, including Karachi, Hyderabad, and Rohri in Sindh; Multan, Lahore, and Rawalpindi in Punjab; Naushehra and Peshawar in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Also, the moot approved the change in cost-sharing ratios of ADB and its co-financing Partners for “Construction of BRT Red Line Project, Karachi” costing Rs78,384.33 million including FEC of Rs66,378.33 million (with cattle-based bio-methane as fuel technology). The project was already approved by ECNEC on 29th August 2019