ML-1 groundbreaking set for next year

Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi said on Saturday that work on the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project had entered its final stages, with groundbreaking scheduled for January next year. He said the ML-1 project would transform Pakistan Railways and have a positive impact on the national economy. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was continuously receiving updates on the project's progress, while the Ministry of Railways was working day and night to meet the expectations of the leadership and the nation, he added. Earlier this week, PR announced that civil works on the $2.5 billion first phase of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project could begin in January 2027, as it steps up market consultations, pre-bid preparations and other procurement processes to meet the timeline set by PM Shehbaz. As part of the preparations, PR has scheduled an online early market engagement session for September 8, bringing together local and international civil works contractors as well as design and monitoring consultants. The session will focus on project readiness, procurement progress, the strategy being pursued, developments since March and other issues concerning the first phase. The first phase covers the 480-kilometre Karachi-Rohri/Sukkur section, where new up and down tracks will be laid. The corridor will also be fenced on both sides to prevent unauthorised access by people, animals and vehicles. The project is expected to take between two and a half and three years to complete. It covers a strategically important railway corridor that carries around 76 per cent of passenger traffic and 98 per cent of freight traffic, while linking major population centres and industrial areas. Financing for the project is expected to come from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), with co-financing also being explored from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Export-Import Bank (EIN), the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). The indicative scope of the first phase includes civil and track works along the Keamari-Landhi-Hyderabad, Hyderabad-Nawabshah and Nawabshah-Rohri sections. The works will include reconstruction of existing tracks, limited realignments, bridges, culverts and other structures, as well as stations, freight yards and buildings. The plan also envisages the upgrading of Walton Academy, along with signalling and telecommunications infrastructure across the corridor, in addition to project management and supervision consultancy services. The upcoming engagement with contractors and consultants will cover a range of procurement and technical issues, including package sizes and scope, qualification criteria, joint-venture arrangements, experience requirements, signalling and telecommunications packages, bid-preparation periods, technical and financial weightings and risk allocation.