As per the official release, the proposal has been sent to the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) by the CDWP for ultimate approval.

Additionally, the ML-1 project is linked to the Havelian Dry Port project.

Additionally, the CDWP referred three projects totaling Rs 9.2 billion to the ECNEC for approval in addition to approving seven smaller projects totaling Rs 82.2 billion.

In addition, the Rs 9.2 billion Mirpur-Mangla Road project and the Rs 58 billion Muzaffarabad-Mansehra Motorway project have been submitted to ECNEC for clearance.

See Also: NRA China promises extensive cooperation with Pakistan Railways on ML-1 initiative

In an earlier statement, Pakistan Railways and the National Railway Administration (NRA) of China promised to work closely together to launch the ML-I project.

Joint efforts would be made to secure the ML-1 project’s timely completion, as the Chinese government pledged full support for it.

Both nations are dedicated to cooperating to ensure the project’s prompt completion. The ML-1 project has the potential to drastically alter Pakistan’s railway infrastructure.

The ML-1 project

The project intends to upgrade and double the 1733-kilometer railway track from Karachi to Peshawar in addition to installing contemporary telecom and signalling equipment. It is Pakistan’s first-ever state-of-the-art railway project.

With complete grade separation and fence included in the proposal, travel times between Lahore and Karachi are 10 hours, between Lahore and Rawalpindi 2.45 hours, and between Karachi and Peshawar 14.30 hours.

The project involves building railway tracks from Lalamusa to Rawalpindi, Rawalpindi to Peshawar, Havelian Dry Port, Kemari to Hyderabad, Hyderabad to Multan, and Lahore to Lalamusa.

Trains will be able to travel at 140 kilometres per hour after the railway rails are upgraded. 2,096 bridges/culverts, 1,300 km of fencing, and 165/631-grade separation are among the other aspects of the project.