Islamabad:
The Senate Standing Committee on Railways was informed of upcoming, ongoing and pending rail projects as well as the biggest challenges currently facing the Ministry of Railways.
The meeting, President of Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, was informed that a total of 38 projects worth RS 260,085 billion was carried out in the financial year 2024-25. Of these, six projects have been completed, while 32 have been led until 2025-26.
While informing the committee, the chairman of Railways described the main line-1 (ML-1) project-there ranges from Karachi to Rohri-a “lifeline” for Reko Diq and Thar Coal Projects, which is expected to begin this year, subject to the availability of funds.
He noted that the total estimated costs of ML-1 amount to RS2,298.18 billion, and a proposal for the award of RS75 billion has been submitted in the 2025–26 financial year to initiate the project.
The Committee was also informed that 12 additional projects – covering track expansion, security improvements, rehabilitation, replacement of tracks, feasibility studies and upgraded security systems – require an allocation of RS11,076 billion in the next financial year.
