ISLAMABAD: The upgradation of the Karachi-Peshawar railway line aka Main Line-1 (ML-1) will prove a game changer for Pakistan, as the line passes through the main cities, stations, and industrial hubs, Syed Mir Badshah, a former senior railway officer, told media.
ML-1, a century-old railway line in Pakistan, is outdated and obsolete at present. However, when this railway line is rebuilt completely under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), it will change the destiny of Pakistan Railways (PR), and the entire country, said Mir Badshah.
The track length is around 1,872km from Karachi to Peshawar. In this project, almost all the bridges will be reconstructed. “However, there are about 670 level crossings on the track which will be converted to underpasses and flyovers, which will not only increase the train’s speed, but also decrease its time to reach its destination,” said the former railway official.
Mir Badshah said that the ML-1 is highly significant for Pakistan as it can connect the country with Central Asia via Afghanistan and with China via Havellian, which will boost trade not only in Pakistan, but also in the entire region.
According to the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation which was set up in 1997 by the Asian Development Bank to encourage economic cooperation among countries in Central Asia and nearby parts of Transcaucasia and South Asia, given the current difficult global economic environment, the member countries will need to further strengthen regional cooperation and integration efforts. Investment in railway assets and implementation of related soft measures to enhance trade will be critical factors in making railways attractive for shippers and transport operators.
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the future socio-economic growth depends upon improvement in the road and rail infrastructure that provides connectivity to support industrial development and scaling up of social service provision through schools, hospitals, and sanitation services.
Thus, the CPEC will improve access to basic needs such as health, water, and energy, which are currently inaccessible in remote areas of Pakistan, through the advancement and upgrading of the railway infrastructure.
Increasing the railway connectivity, promoting cross-border trade and investment, and improving the country’s access to external markets will help improve growth opportunities. –INP
