ECNEC Approves Re-Modified PC-I of ML-I Project at Cost of $6.68 Billion, NA Told
Parliamentary Secretary for Railways Muhammad Usman Awais informed the National Assembly on Friday that the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) has approved the re-modified PC-I of the Main Line-1 (ML-I) project at a rationalized cost of $6.678 billion.
During the question hour, he said that in a high-level meeting between the Chinese Premier and the Prime Minister of Pakistan, both sides agreed to construct the Karachi-Hyderabad section of ML-I on a pilot basis.
He said, a draft Financing Commitment Agreement (FCA), approved by the Cabinet Division, has been shared with China’s National Railway Administration (NRA), but a formal response is still awaited.
To expedite the process, the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, in coordination with the Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Communications, and Ministry of Economic Affairs, is actively engaging with relevant forums to push for the early deployment of Chinese technical and financial expert teams. Despite these efforts, there has been no concrete reply from the Chinese authorities.
Awais said the revised project cost is based on an adjusted design by Chinese consultants. Under the updated plan, the design speed remains 160 km/h from Karachi to Lalamusa and 120 km/h from Lalamusa to Peshawar.
However, operational speeds will vary: 160 km/h between Karachi and Hyderabad, 120 km/h from Hyderabad to Lalamusa, and 100 km/h from Lalamusa to Peshawar—excluding the Kaluwal-Pindora realignment section.
He added that grade separation of level crossings such as overhead bridges and underpasses and full fencing have only been included in the Karachi-Hyderabad and Kaluwal-Pindora sections.
In other sections, where such safety measures are not part of the current design, the operating speed has been limited accordingly. Future upgrades could allow speeds of 160 km/h and 120 km/h in these areas, subject to implementation of grade separation and fencing.
The Parliamentary Secretary further said that securing 85 percent Chinese concessional financing for the project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework depends on the convening of the Joint Financing Committee (JFC) meeting.