Pakistan targets 120 train pairs as $2.5bn ML-1 upgrade advances

September 29, 2026 (MLN): Pakistan is advancing the modernization of Main Line-1 (ML-1), with the government targeting a more than threefold increase in train capacity and substantially higher passenger and freight speeds along the Karachi-Peshawar railway corridor.

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the modernization of ML-1 is critical to expanding Pakistan’s trade, freight capacity and regional connectivity while briefing development partners at the CAREC International Conference in Mongolia.

ML-1 stretches 1,726 kilometres from Karachi to Peshawar and currently carries around 76% of Pakistan Railways’ passenger traffic and 98% of its freight traffic, despite significant infrastructure constraints, according to the minister.

Under the proposed modernization, line capacity is expected to increase from 34 to 120 train pairs, while passenger speeds could reach 160 kilometres per hour.

Freight speeds are planned to rise from around 30km/h to 80km/h.

The upgrade would also reduce travel time between Karachi and Rohri from approximately eight hours to around four and a half hours, improving the efficiency of one of the country’s key transport corridors.

The government expects freight demand on the corridor to reach around 21 million tonnes annually by 2035, increasing the importance of higher-capacity rail infrastructure for the movement of commodities and containers.

$2.5bn Karachi-Rohri project

The Karachi-Rohri section represents the most advanced component of the ML-1 modernization programme, with an estimated project cost of approximately $2.5 billion.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the Asian Development Bank is leading the financing effort, while the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, World Bank, Islamic Development Bank and European Investment Bank are engaged as potential co-financing partners.

The project has moved beyond the conceptual stage, with project-readiness financing secured, engineering work undertaken and procurement and financing processes progressing.

The government intends to use the Karachi-Rohri section as the first step toward modernization of the complete Karachi-Peshawar corridor.

Pakistan is simultaneously working on a financing mechanism for the remaining Rohri-Peshawar sections.

The government has emphasized that the objective is not merely to upgrade individual railway sections but to establish an integrated high-capacity corridor connecting Pakistan’s principal port and commercial centres with northern parts of the country.

Trade and logistics impact

The proposed modernization could increase the capacity of Pakistan’s rail network to handle bulk commodities and other freight, potentially reducing pressure on road-based transportation.

The government has previously identified greater railway freight capacity as important for improving logistics efficiency and strengthening Pakistan’s role in regional trade.

The modernization is also being positioned as part of Pakistan’s broader regional connectivity agenda under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation framework.

Ahsan Iqbal said the priority is now to move the Karachi-Rohri component toward implementation while securing financing for the remaining ML-1 corridor.

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