Islamabad:
The senatorial committee on railroads has been informed of the upcoming railway projects, in progress and pending, as well as the main challenges currently faced by the Ministry of Railways.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, was informed that a total of 38 projects worth 260.085 billion rupees were undertaken during the year 2024-25. Among these, six projects were completed, while 32 were postponed until 2025-26.
During the information of the committee, the president of the railways described the main project of line 1 (ML -1) – from Karachi to Rohri – as a “rescue buoy” for the Reko Diq and Thar Coal projects, which should start this year, subject to the availability of funds.
He noted that the estimated total cost of ML-1 amounts to RS2 298.18 billion, and a proposal was submitted for the allocation of 75 billion rupees during the year 2025-26 to launch the project.
The Committee also informed that 12 additional projects – covering the expansion of the tracks, safety improvements, rehabilitation, replacement of tracks, feasibility studies and improved security systems – require an allocation of RS11.076 billion in the next financial year.
