Railway Ministry highlights reforms in safety, digitalization and tracking alongside ML-1
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways, Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, said an agreement for the ML-1 project had been finalized with the Asian Development Bank, terming it a major step towards modernization of the railway network.
In a meeting in Islamabad with ADB Director General Leah Gutierrez and Defense Secretary Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ali, Abbasi said steps were being taken to move forward with the project, which he wants to complete as soon as possible.
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The meeting was also attended by Secretary Power Division Dr Fakhar Alam Irfan and Director General National Logistics Cell Major General Farrukh Shehzad Rao.
Abbasi said Pakistan’s first “safe and smart railway station” had been set up in Rawalpindi with an AI-based surveillance system and 184 surveillance cameras.
He added that a Rail Tag system allowing real-time tracking of trains and rolling stock had been introduced, which he said would improve transparency and efficiency.
According to the ministry, around 70% of passenger traffic is covered by free Wi-Fi at major stations, and vending machines have been installed to support electronic payments.
Officials have described ML-1 as the central rail corridor, saying it carries about 80% of passenger traffic and 90% of freight nationwide, and argued that aging infrastructure requires urgent upgrades.
Defense Secretary Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ali and other officials noted the ministry’s reform initiatives and recognized efforts to improve Pakistan’s railways.
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The meeting ended with an agreement on continued institutional cooperation and coordination on railway projects. Officials said the inauguration ceremony of the Karachi-Rohri section of ML-1 is scheduled for July 2026.
Earlier, experts from the Asian Development Bank had already carried out field inspections of the Karachi-Rohri stretch and examined existing infrastructure as part of a fact-finding exercise to assess financing options. Officials say this section carries the majority of freight and passenger traffic.
