# China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) | Railway



## ghazi52

*Rehabilitation & Up-gradation of Karachi-Lahore Peshawar (ML-1) 


Railway Track (1,872 kms)*

*Scope:*


Doubling of entire track from Karachi to Peshawar
Speed of passenger trains to be raise from 65/110km/h to 160 km/h
Freight trains to operate at 120 km/h
Computer based signaling and control system
Grade separation to ensure safety of train operations

*Responsibility:*


Proposing Agency: Ministry of Railways
Implementing Agency: Pakistan Railways
Supervising Agency: Ministry of Communications, Government of Pakistan
Location Karachi to Peshawar via Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rohri, RahimyarKhan, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujrawala, Rwalpindi, Peshwar
*
Estimated Cost 
*
(US $ Million) 8,172

Financing Work will be carried out by financing possibly through Chinese Government Concessional Loan (GCL). Work will be awarded through open bidding as per PPRA rules through EPC contract..
*

Project Progress Update *

*Feasibility completed*
*ML-1 Project declared ‘Strategic’ by 6th JCC in Beijing*
*Framework Agreement on ML-1 signed on 15th May 2017 during PM Visit to China*
*Commercial Contract for Preliminary Design signed on 15th May, 2017*
*Project will be completed in 3 phases*
*PC-1 has been submited to MoPD&SI in October 2019*
*A financing committee has been notified under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission to laision with Chinese to finalize the concessional financing agreement*

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## ghazi52

CPECA *chief says financing matters with Chinese govt for ML-1 at advanced stage*


China Pakistan *Economic Corridor* (CPEC) Authority Chairman General (retired) Asim Saleem Bajwa has said the financing matters with the Chinese government for the mega railway project, Main Line (ML-1), are at advanced stage and the project would soon be on ground.

Dispelling rumours and misgivings being spread about ML-1 that the project was halted or slowed down, the chairman said the rumours were baseless as “ML-1 is our high priority mega railway project, being pursued on fast track basis”.

In his tweet on Sunday, Bajwa said all feasibilities and evaluations of the project had already been done and stakeholders and experts were being consulted for the purpose.

“ML-1 is the largest single CPEC infrastructure to generate huge employment, revolutionise railway and improve logistics,” he said adding focus is on making it best project for Pakistan to be presented to the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), after refining all aspects, soon as per process

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## Path-Finder

as long as the journey is reduced to 12 hrs instead of lasting 24 hrs!

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## ghazi52

.

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## ali_raza

wht i always wonder is who will get the old iron stocks
that is billions of dollars or millions of tons of old british steel iron we talking


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## ghazi52

*Pakistan, China discuss mega railway project ML-1*

May 09, 2020








Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing and a delegation of China Railway group separately called on Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Asim Saleem Bajwa in Islamabad on Saturday.

In a tweet, the Special Assistant said mega railway project ML-1 was discussed in the meetings.

He said action plans by concerned ministries of both sides were discussed and evaluated.

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## ghazi52

$9.2 Billion ML-1 CPEC Railway Project Will Commence in Jan 2021

The $9.2 billion Main Line (ML-1) project under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is planned to be executed in January 2021, if PC-1 of the project is approved in the upcoming Central Development Working Party (CDWP) meeting scheduled for June 3, 2020.

This was revealed by senior officials of the Railways Ministry. “The project will be further delayed if it is not approved by the Planning Commission”, the official added

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## ghazi52

CDWP Approved and recommended* ML1 project* to ECNEC with cost US$ 7.2 Billion. 
Project scope includes dualisation & Upgradation of 1872 km Railway track from Peshawar to Karachi,
Upgrade Walton Academy & build Dry Port at Havelian. 
*Big milestone for 2nd phase CPEC *

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## ghazi52

he government has decided to engage international consultant for the preparation of governance, human resource structures, development of business and cash flow models for up-graded *Main_Line_1* ML1 project under the #CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor.

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## Syed1.

ghazi52 said:


> he government has decided to engage international consultant for the preparation of governance, human resource structures, development of business and cash flow models for up-graded *Main_Line_1* ML1 project under the #CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor.


Need a direct connection between Havelian to Gwadar


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## bananarepublic

ghazi52 said:


> he government has decided to engage international consultant for the preparation of governance, human resource structures, development of business and cash flow models for up-graded *Main_Line_1* ML1 project under the #CPEC China Pakistan Economic Corridor.




They may be upgrading ML-1 but I would very much like to see this




1) It will give us an alternative route to Gilgit which will be both much further away from India but also develop areas which have been left behind.
2) it will reduce the Dependence on one singular valley i.e where KKH runs through, which the Chinese have also raised several times
3) This route could potential help us develop the western part of Pakistan which has been left behind and ignored by many successive governments, while the eastern corrider has a strong net of infrastructure of roads and connectivity all the way to thakot ( and soon even further once construction of the dams are in full swing).

This endeavor which I have proposed while being much more ambitious and hard will be more beneficial for the country as it will spread out the infrastructure all around the country. The route can start from Gilgit-Ghizer-Shandur-Chitral-Dir-Peshawar then going through the Tribal areas and across Baluchistan all the way to Gwader allowing more of the remote areas to be connected to the rest of the country and the world.
I would very much like to know why the gov hasn't done this

Other members opinion would be highly appreciated

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

*Pakistan Railways Main Line 1 (ML1) Project.*

ECNEC has approved the transformational railway project at a cost of $6.806 Bn from Peshawar to Karachi (1872 KMs) including Havelian Dry Port and upgrading Walton Academy.

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## AMRAAM

ghazi52 said:


> *Pakistan Railways Main Line 1 (ML1) Project.*
> 
> ECNEC has approved the transformational railway project at a cost of $6.806 Bn from Peshawar to Karachi (1872 KMs) including Havelian Dry Port and upgrading Walton Academy.


Shouldn't this network be connected with Gawadar?


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## ghazi52

AMRAAM said:


> Shouldn't this network be connected with Gawadar?

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## ghazi52

HE Yao Jing,the Chinese Ambassador visited CPEC Authority & conveyed his Govt’s pleasure on ECNEC approval of ML-1. Seperarely Mr. Sun Yangjun DG China Railway Gp visited & felicitated Pakistan on ML-1 approval.Assured to use max Local Labour & materials #CPEC #CPECMakingProgress

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## ghazi52

The contractor meeting for ML - 1

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## ghazi52

*Project Title:*

*Rehabilitation & Up-gradation of Karachi-Lahore Peshawar (ML-1) Railway Track (1,872 kms)*


*Scope:*


Doubling of entire track from Karachi to Peshawar
Speed of passenger trains to be raise from 65/110km/h to 160 km/h
Freight trains to operate at 120 km/h
Computer based signaling and control system
Grade separation to ensure safety of train operations


*Responsibility:*


Proposing Agency: Ministry of Railways
Implementing Agency: Pakistan Railways
Supervising Agency: Ministry of Communications, Government of Pakistan


Location Karachi to Peshawar via Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rohri, RahimyarKhan, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujrawala, Rwalpindi, Peshwar

Estimated Cost (US $ Million) 6808

Financing Work will be carried out by financing possibly through Chinese Government Concessional Loan (GCL). Work will be awarded through open bidding as per PPRA rules through EPC contract

Project Progress Update

*Feasibility completed*
*ML-1 Project declared ‘Strategic’ by 6th JCC in Beijing*
*Framework Agreement on ML-1 signed on 15th May 2017 during PM Visit to China*
*Commercial Contract for Preliminary Design signed on 15th May, 2017*
*Project will be completed in 3 phases*
*PC-1 has been submited to MoPD&SI in October 2019*
*A financing committee has been notified under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission to laision with Chinese to finalize the concessional financing agreement*
*PC-1 of ML-1 project approved by CDWP on 6th June 2020*
*ECNEC approved the project on 5th August 2020*

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## Thunder.Storm

@ghazi52 none of your pictures posts are visible in the defense pk app.


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## ghazi52

*China to provide 90% funding for $6.8 billion Pakistani Railway project ML-1
*
- “About 90% of financing for the project will be provided by the Chinese government [through the government concessional loan] while the remaining amount will be shared by us,” the railways minister informed.

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

*Expected in January or February 2021, the construction activities will start on this historic railway project.*

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## ghazi52

*Pakistan** Railways *has 3 Main Lines *ML-1, ML-2, ML-3.* Upgradation of these 3 Main Lines are under CPEC but divided in phases of early upgradation mid term projects

In first phase upgradation and doubling of 1872 kilometres long* ML-1* from Karachi to Peshawar, including 55-km Taxila- Havelian section is being done. Also establishment of Havelian Dry Port.

The *ML-2* is 1254 kilometre long alternate railway line from Kotri to Attock via Dadu- Larkana , Jacobabad , Dera Ghazi Khan, Bhakkar , Kundian, they added.
,
The sources clarified that although upgradation of *ML-2 *was part of the CPEC, it was also included in midterm.

The existing railway line from Rohri to Kohi-Taftan via Quetta and Sibi  Spezand section (1022 km) and rail link from Quetta to Kotla Jam (538 km) were called *ML-3,* which will be used for the exploitation of full capacity of Gwadar Port and anticipated traffic from China after CPEC became operational.

The sources further informed that the feasibility study of the project had been approved by the Planning Commission

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

*China seeks additional guarantees for $6b new loan*

China has sought additional guarantees before sanctioning $6 billion loan for Main Line-1 (ML-1) project due to weakening financial position of Pakistan and also proposed a mix of commercial and concessional loan against Islamabad’s desire to secure the cheapest lending.

The issue of additional guarantees was raised during the third joint ML-1 financing committee meeting, held ten days ago, official documents said.

However, a senior Pakistani official involved in negotiations said that China did raise the additional guarantees issue during meeting but it did not make it part of the draft of the minutes shared with Pakistan.

The ML-1 project includes dualisation and upgrading of the 1,872km railway track from Peshawar to Karachi and is a major milestone for the second phase of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The purpose of raising the additional guarantees issue was getting more clarity after Pakistan availed G-20 countries debt relief initiative, he added. The draft minutes have not yet been signed by both the countries.

The third round of financial negotiations gave further clarity on the Chinese position on $6 billion lending for the $6.8 billion strategically important ML-1 project of Pakistan Railways, sources in the Ministry of Economic Affairs said.

The Chinese authorities asked for additional guarantee mechanism after Islamabad sought debt relief from G-20 countries, which was only meant for poorest nations of the world.
The G-2- nations have also imposed conditions that the poor countries would not secure expensive commercial loans, except those allowed under the IMF-WB framework.
The Chinese authorities have proposed that “keeping in view the financial situation in Pakistan so also the conditions laid down by the G-20 re

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## ghazi52

*ML-1 to speed Pakistani exports, increase revenue: PM*


Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan has said that the CPEC’s Main Line -1 (ML-1) project is set to shape road networks amongst sea ports of Pakistan and expedite exports by reducing at time of delivery, while the speedy delivery of exports to international markets will translate into revenue generation for Pakistan.

Chairing the project’s project survey session in the federal capital on Monday, the premier expressed satisfaction on the progress made so far.

The PM was briefed at length about the project by the Ministry of Railways and CPEC Authority chairman among other authorities concerned while Federal Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati expanded on the integration plan of ML-1.

The premier said that the ML-1 project will lay the foundation of an industry that will guarantee prosperity for Pakistan and employments, adding that it is by far the costliest project of CPEC.


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## ghazi52

Pakistan China agree on early launching of ML1 under CPEC during a meeting between Chinese Ambassador Nong Rong and Minister for Railways Azam Khan Swati. 

As the biggest project in Pak history, the ML-1 project will be carried out in the four provinces from Peshawar to Karachi.

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## ghazi52

*ML1 CPEC Railway *

Train will run at a speed of 160 km per hour from Peshawar to Karachi, ML One plan
Pakistan Railway ML One project will be launched loudly, Azam Sawati.

Prime Minister of Railway Sawati has informed the National Assembly that Pakistan will fence the ML One project from both sides under the Railway CPEC and change the level crossing to overhead bridge or under passage to protect human lives and avoid accidents. It will go. The train will move towards its destination at a speed of 160 km per hour from the track from Peshawar to Karachi.


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## ghazi52

The federal government has earmarked Rs23 billion for 17 projects of China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) 2021-22.

the government allocated Rs 6 billion for the “Up-gradation of Pakistan Railways existing Main Line-1 (ML-1) and Establishment of Dry port near Havelian (2018-22) Phase-1”.

The government also earmarked Rs500 million for the project “Preliminary Design/Drawings for Up-gradation/Rehabilitation of Mainline (ML-I) and Establishment of Dry port Near #Havelian under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Hiring of Design/Drawing Vetting Consultants”


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## ghazi52



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## maverick1977

ghazi52 said:


> View attachment 757754


Is This official and approved plan by PR?


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## ghazi52

*Pakistan, China move forward with ML-1 financing, construction plans*

July 28, 2021


Pakistan has asked China for granting loans for the construction of Mainline-1 (ML-1), a CPEC railway project from Karachi to Peshawar. Moreover, China has also offered a combination of favourable terms and conditions for the construction of ML-1, as the project is to be financed solely from China on concessional terms. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved ML-1 at an estimated cost of $6.8 billion on the 90:10 percent cost sharing basis by the China and Pakistani side. The Pakistan and China have agreed for the tenure of the loan to be 25 years, whereas Pakistan has agreed to repay the principal and interest in half a year’s time.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has formally asked China for providing loans for construction of the much-awaited Mainline-1 (ML-1) of rail line from Karachi to Peshawar in USD instead of Chinese RMB currency or a combination of both currencies could be acceptable for moving forward.

Top official sources confirmed to The News here on Tuesday that Pakistani authorities have communicated five major points to Beijing officially for evolving consensus on financing agreement for the construction of multi-billion dollar strategically important ML-1 project under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was postponed recently between the two sides and it was not yet known when the JCC was going to be rescheduled. However, Pakistan officially conveyed its response to Chinese for finalizing the financing agreement on the ML-1 project.

The Chinese side want to provide a loan for ML-1 in RMB currency but Islamabad conveyed that Pakistan prefers the loan in US dollars or a combination of US dollars and RMB currencies for the convenience of Chinese side.

China has also offered Pakistan a combination of favorable terms and conditions and commercial loans for construction of ML-1 but Pakistani side is insisting upon extending lenient conditions only. The Pakistani side communicated to China that the Framework Agreement for ML-1 stipulates that Beijing will provide financing for the project on softer terms, being a strategic project.

Consistent with this stipulation and the fact that CPEC related projects were provided concessional financing terms, the project is proposed to be financed by Chinese side on concessional terms. Pakistan will accept favorable financing terms which as compared to previous CPEC Infrastructure projects.

There are differences over share of loan from Chinese side for construction of the project as Pakistan had initially proposed 90 percent share of loan from China and 10 percent from Pakistani side. However, Chinese side proposed that its share should be 85 percent and Pakistan should provide the remaining 15 percent resources for construction of the ML-1 project. After hectic negotiations, Pakistani side agreed to the Chinese proposal of its 85 percent loan of the cost of ML-1.

The Chinese team also proposed 15 to 20 years tenure of the project, however, Pakistan argued that the construction of ML-1 might hover around for 10 years and the payback of loan period take another 15 years, so Islamabad proposed a 25 year tenure of the loan including a 10 years grace period. China has asked for repayment of principal and interest in half a year and Pakistani side agreed to it and also accepted that the government would extend the guarantee to the Chinese loan amount.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved ML-1 at an estimated cost of $6.8 billion on the 90:10 percent cost sharing basis by the China and Pakistani side. The ECNEC had basically three different component of ML-1 project including package-I of ML-I at the cost of US$ 2.7 billion which include Nawabshah-Rohri Section (183 Km), Multan-Lahore Section (339 Km), Lahore-Lalamusa Section (132 Km), Kaluwal-Pindora Section (52 Km) and upgradation of Walton Railway Academy at Lahore.

Under Package-II, the cost of $2.67 billion was approved for up-gradation of Kiamari-Hyderabad Section (182 Km) and Hyderabad-Multan Section (566 Km) excluding work done on Nawabshah-Rohri Section in Package-I. Under Package-III, the ECNEC approved a cost of $1.42 billion for construction of Lalamusa-Rawalpindi Section (105 Km), Rawalpindi – Peshawar Section (174 Km) and establishment of dry port near Havelian.

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## Ghessan

ghazi52 said:


> *Pakistan, China move forward with ML-1 financing, construction plans*



this need to be executed as early as possible. the delays are hampering a project that is the backbone of communication and transportation, a hurdle in the development of regions within Pakistan and the connectivity that is very important with the regional countries increasing volume of trade to massive level.

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## ghazi52

Very important project. I don't know why it is stuck up in process.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC Parliamentary Committee for early execution of ML-1 project*

August 26, 2021





*
*
LAHORE, Aug 25 (Gwadar Pro) – A Pakistani parliamentary committee on Tuesday afternoon directed to complete the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project at the earliest as Chinese loan had already been approved.

The meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Railways was held under the chairmanship of Mueen Watto, in committee Room Pakistan Railways Headquarters, Lahore to discuss the agenda items.
“The committee discussed the present status of ML-I project which is pending for long but the committee has always been briefed by the railways that the project will be started soon in every briefing,” said an official statement issued after the meeting.

It added: “Lastly, Ministry of Railways briefed the committee that Chinese loan has been approved but despite that there is no ground progress. The committee recommended that the said project may be launched at the earliest for its timely completion.”

The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Railways showed its reservation on the poor implementation of the previous recommendations made in a different meeting including the ML-1.

Further, the committee also reiterated the issue of regularization of staff, clearance of retiring benefits and dues of railways employees. The committee discussed the report of the Sub-Committee and approved its recommendations.

Members of the National Assembly Sheikh Rashid Shafique, Amjad Ali Khan, Tahir Iqbal, Engineer Sabir Hussain Kaim Khani, Chaudhry Muhammad Hamid Hameed, Ali Pervaiz, Muhammad Khan Daha, Nauman Islam Shaikh, Ramesh Lal, Muhammad Bashir Khan, Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Gillani, Dr. Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla and Nusrat Wahid attended the meeting.

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## FuturePAF

When they rebuild mainline 1; the tracks should be built to prioritize freight; ability to carry double stack containers, so the tracks and the rolling sticks need to be be able to carry heavy weights per axle, which would mean the trains may not be the fastest, but they will be the most efficient for freight, etc.

prioritizing it for passenger speeds as in Europe will not make them as profitable as prioritizing them for freight as with US rail companies. Pakistan should be studying US freight tracks and what India is build on their side; the Dedicated freight corridors. This is about geo-economics, and making a railroad that will earn as much of a profits as fast as possible, so it can help fund other needed national development projects like the DAMs.

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## FuturePAF

This is how Mainline 1 should be built, to prioritize heavy freight and (not passengers), especially food. Once the entire line is completed, so that it can start generating revenue, the profits should be reinvested to complete a link along the Karakoram Highway to link up with China, and onwards to Russia. Afghanistan is too volatile to invest in, and we can’t wait on them to get their act together. By the time they are ready (for mineral transportation), we should have infrastructure ready to go on our side of the border; both to Karachi and north into China.

This is a design that works for Panama and may work for us as well, especially for Chinese and Russian companies looking to have backup routes from east Africa, just in case their shipping routes become challenged. The Chinese rail link through Kazakhstan to Russia is complete, so we just need our part to build an efficient rail system between Europe and South Asia (on to East Africa) and make good on the geoeconomics we keep planning for.

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## ghazi52

*CPEC’s ML-I is a strategic project of BRI*

November 30, 2021





Upgradation of the Pakistan Railway’s Mainline-I, which runs north to south connecting the country, is envisaged under the multibillion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) – a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The goal is to revamp and modernize the dilapidated railway infrastructure of Pakistan. 

The project has great strategic importance for Pakistan and China, as it would revive the backbone of the railway network. The project was declared a “strategic project” by the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC in 2017. It, thus, reflects a high-level consensus between leadership and policymakers of both countries.

Significance of the ML-I project can be gauged from the fact that Pakistan’s present railway track and allied infrastructure were initiated during the 19th century under the British Raj. In 1947, at the time of independence, Pakistan inherited the same infrastructure and continued to run it. Now population dynamics have changed and along with it the infrastructure has degraded as it is a 150 year old system.

A modern railway network is a strategic requirement of Pakistan’s economy and supply chain systems. It will improve logistics transportation systems, save transportation time, promote connectivity and improve the quality of travel across the country.

The goal of connectivity through CPEC is unachievable without upgrading the ML-1 of Pakistan railways. The upgradation and expansion of ML-1 is, thus, considered as a big milestone in the improvement and modernization of Pakistan railways.

ML-I spans nearly 1,872 kilometers. 
The estimated cost of expansion and reconstruction of the ML-1 projects is $6.8 billion.

In 2015, technical experts from both China and Pakistan undertook a joint feasibility study. It was carried out by China Railway Eryuan Engineering Group Corporation, Ltd, NESPAK and PRACS. The report from the feasibility study was deliberated at the JCC in 2017, and at that time, the committee approved the study and gave a go-ahead for the next stage of the project i.e., realizing financial close and finalizing the design and other technical details.

Under the proposed framework, the ML-I project consists of three packages: first, to upgrade the track between Lala Musa to Lahore, Lahore to Multan, and Nawab Shah to Rohri. The second package will focus on modernization of the track between Lala Musa and Rawalpindi, Nowshera-Peshawar and Hyderabad Karachi section. The third package will focus on upgradation of Multan Khanewal to Sukkur section.

After the upgradation and completion of the project, the entire track will be a modern dual track. 


. The speed of passenger trains will increase from existing 65-110 kilometers per hour to 160 kilometers per hour, while freight trains will be able to run at the speed of 120 kilometer per hour. Moreover, Pakistan railways will have a computer based signaling and control system, reducing inefficiencies and accidents, while grade separation will be implemented to ensure the safety of train operations.

It was in 2017 that JCC agreed to undertake the project and the framework agreement was signed in May, 2017 during the visit to Beijing of then Prime Minister Nawab Sharif. Since then, both sides have remained engaged in talks for financial closure, with work not yet commenced. For three years, both sides have negotiated on the estimated cost of the project and mode of financing.

Earlier, it was suggested that the project would cost more than $8 billion. This was an expensive undertaking for Pakistan, as the federal government had initially approved the project cost of $7.2 billion over eight years. Pakistan sought to reduce the cost. In 2020, both sides agreed to a reduce projected cost of $6.8 billion and the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council approved the project in August 2020.

Next, talks commenced for exploring financing arrangements for the project. Pakistan sought government concessional loan from China on low-interest rates in the USD denomination, as it considers ML-I a strategic project for both sides. China proposed a combination of commercial and concessional loans, with mix of RMB and USD components. The interest rates in Pakistan’s proposed financing facility are lower than the China proposed arrangement.

Given Pakistan’s current economic challenges, partly owing to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be a difficult undertaking for Pakistan to make timely payments if it takes commercial loans for the ML-I project. It would also lead to delays in the implementation of the project and possible cost overruns. Already the start of the project has been delayed for over four years. Given ML-I is a strategic project and consensus was reached between the leaders of two countries, it is important that both sides address such issues in a timely manner for early commencement of the construction of the project.

In September, 10th JCC was held virtually and the two sides reviewed progress on CPEC projects. Pakistan and China also reviewed progress on ML-I project and decided to remain engaged on finalizing its financing arrangements. As both countries consider ML-I a strategic project, it would be in their common interest for both to display flexibility and finalize the financing mechanism through a proactive approach.

After its completion ML-I will play a major role in enhancing connectivity and supporting new economic activity. Pakistan has already proposed extension of ML-I to the Torkham border and onwards to Afghanistan. 

The Chinese side has expressed interest in exploring such an extension. When materialized, ML-I it will inevitably enhance connectivity with Afghanistan, Central Asia and directly enhance Pakistan and China’s trade with Iran, Turkey and Central Asia and go on to become a success story of the BRI. Besides, ML-I will be cherished as China’s major contribution toward Pakistan and its people’s well being from an old and time tested friend. Both Pakistan and China still rejoice and take pride in the joint venture construction of the Karakoram Highway; ML-I would be an additional feather in the cap.

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## ghazi52

Pakistan Railways has agreed to collaborate with a Chinese defense and technology firm on the development of an artificial intelligence system that will allow passengers to plan and book door-to-door travels using a single app.

The China North Industries Group Corporation (Norinco) will develop the service over the next ten years as part of the public-private partnership agreement.

The arrangement, according to Pakistan’s Ministry of Railways Secretary Habibur Rehman Gilani, will not require any funding from the rail operator.

Norinco will be paid a percentage of the ticket price, freight, and value-added services.

The Railway Automated Booking and Travel Assistance programme is the name of the system.

Passengers will be able to use the app to book and pay for each mode of transportation on a route. They’ll also be able to check train schedules, select seats, reserve car rentals and meals, and book a hotel

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## lafete

A rail line along the mekran coastal highway would be an excellent addition. A fast train which could connect karachi and gwadar would really help. Connecting gwadar and dubai via rail link could have enormous benefits. If Karachi dubai rail trip could be cut down to 5-6 hours, it would be a great boost to the Pakistani economy.

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## ghazi52

China.








With 37,900 kilometers of lines, China has the world's largest network of high-speed railways.

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## ghazi52

.....
Havelian Dry port (450 M. Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)​
ProjectHavelian Dry port (450 M. Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units)Project Description*Project Title:* *Construction of Havelian Dry port including cargo handling facilities.

Responsibility:*

Proposing Agency: Ministry of Railways
Implementing Agency: Pakistan Railways
Supervising Agency: Ministry of Communications, Government of Pakistan

To meet the demand of containerized future freight traffic in connection with Pak-China Economic Corridor, the dry port will be established at Havelian by utilizing the railway land, railhead facilities, high speed / capacity stock, and potential of well established off-dock terminal for handling bonded import / export containers. Pakistan Railway network exist upto Havelian Railway Station situated at more than 680 Kms from Khunjrab (China border). 

The station is coming on Pak-China economic corridor. Initially it will act as Dry Port / container terminal for goods traffic coming through road from China through KKH. Transshipment arrangement will be provided at Havelian for loading / unloading on railway wagons.

Location

Havellian, District Haripur, KPK

Estimated Cost (US $ Million)65Financing
Work will be carried out by financing through Chinese Government Concessional Loan (GCL). Work will be awarded through open bidding as per PPRA rules through EPC contract
Project Progress Update
*Feasibility completed*
*Project to be put on fast track*
*Framework agreement signed in May 2017*



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## khansaheeb

ghazi52 said:


> *Rehabilitation & Up-gradation of Karachi-Lahore Peshawar (ML-1)
> 
> 
> Railway Track (1,872 kms)
> 
> Scope:*
> 
> 
> Doubling of entire track from Karachi to Peshawar
> Speed of passenger trains to be raise from 65/110km/h to 160 km/h
> Freight trains to operate at 120 km/h
> Computer based signaling and control system
> Grade separation to ensure safety of train operations
> 
> *Responsibility:*
> 
> 
> Proposing Agency: Ministry of Railways
> Implementing Agency: Pakistan Railways
> Supervising Agency: Ministry of Communications, Government of Pakistan
> Location Karachi to Peshawar via Hyderabad, Nawabshah, Rohri, RahimyarKhan, Bahawalpur, Khanewal, Sahiwal, Lahore, Gujrawala, Rwalpindi, Peshwar
> 
> *Estimated Cost *
> 
> (US $ Million) 8,172
> 
> Financing Work will be carried out by financing possibly through Chinese Government Concessional Loan (GCL). Work will be awarded through open bidding as per PPRA rules through EPC contract..
> 
> 
> *Project Progress Update *
> 
> *Feasibility completed*
> *ML-1 Project declared ‘Strategic’ by 6th JCC in Beijing*
> *Framework Agreement on ML-1 signed on 15th May 2017 during PM Visit to China*
> *Commercial Contract for Preliminary Design signed on 15th May, 2017*
> *Project will be completed in 3 phases*
> *PC-1 has been submited to MoPD&SI in October 2019*
> *A financing committee has been notified under the Chairmanship of Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission to laision with Chinese to finalize the concessional financing agreement*


Hope it is a standardised track compatible with Iran and China railways.


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## ghazi52

khansaheeb said:


> Hope it is a standardised track compatible with Iran and China railways.


YES,






......................

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## War Eagle

Is there any plan to transition to standard gauges or will they be sticking to Indian gauge for all new/updated railways?


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## khansaheeb

ghazi52 said:


> View attachment 757754


Why no train link from Karachi->Gwadar->Tehran->Baghdad->Istanbul linking to Ml-1 to Xinxiang to Beijing?

Also Gwadar needs to be sold as the Afro-Asia trade link.

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## ghazi52

,.,.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that they will request the Chinese government to make Karachi Circular Railway (#KCR) a part of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
,.

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## ghazi52

.,,.
*Pakistan Railways plans to manufacture passenger coaches in the future through “technology transfer” from China at its Carriage Factory in Islamabad.*

"To have its passenger coaches, Pakistan Railways is sending engineers and technical teams to China for world-class training," said Zafar Zaman Ranjha, Chairman Pakistan Railways, in a statement late Friday night, adding that the technology transfer will benefit Pakistan's economy in the future.

The Chairman further said that for the comfortable travel of passengers, Pakistan is purchasing 230 passenger coaches from China.

According to him, the company (CRRC Tangshan) which is supplying the coaches to Pakistan will bear the expenses of Pakistani engineers and the technical team. “The training of officers will not have any financial impact on the revenue budget of Pakistan Railways,” he added.

In November 2021, Pakistan Railways signed a contract with CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd. to supply 230 high-speed passenger coaches to Pakistan. The passenger trains include 80 economic coaches and 80 air-conditioned standard trains and some lounge-type trains. The trains will run at 180km/h with wide-gauge bogies.

CRRC Tangshan Co., Ltd., which was built in 1881, is the first Chinese railway equipment manufacturing company.

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## ghazi52

.,.,
PR team to inspect prototypes of Chinese coaches​Khalid Hasnain
August 7, 2022


LAHORE: The Pakistan Railways (PR), in near future, is all set to inspect prototype models of the state-of-the-art passenger coaches and high-capacity freight wagons it wants to procure from a leading Chinese company.

Several junior and senior officials will also travel to China soon where some of them will inspect the models (as per specifications, designs etc) and some will take part in training being organised by the Chinese firm as a part of two different contracts to transfer technology of manufacturing modern coaches in Pakistan, _Dawn_ has learnt.

“Under $140 million contract (Rs31 billion approximately) awarded by Pakistan Railways, a Chinese company is liable to manufacture 230 state-of-the-art passenger coaches, out of which 46 will be provided to us in the form of completely built unit (CBU) and the remaining 184 will be manufactured here in Pakistan by our engineers and technical staff under supervision of the Chinese,” PR’s Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) Abdul Haseeb explained while talking to _Dawn_ on Saturday.
*
“The contract of procuring 800 wagons and 20 brake wagons is separate to this contract,” he added.*



> Officials will visit China for training as a part of technology transfer


The manufacturing of 184 coaches in Pakistan, according to him, is a part of the contract called “Transfer of Technology” after which the PR would not require any help from China for manufacturing of such rolling stock.

To a question, Mr Haseeb said, for the coaches planned to be manufactured in Pakistan (The PR Carriage Factory, Islamabad), the Chinese firm would be responsible to provide spare parts and raw material.

He said the officials proceeding to China included 18 for design inspection, 20 for other sorts of inspections and the rest for participating in the training related to transfer of technology.

According to another contract, the PR is set to procure as many as 800 high capacity wagons and 20 brake vans and a letter of credit has already been opened in March, this year.

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## ghazi52

__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1803288033339286

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## Luosifen

Important railway project approved under CPEC​ 
By Fatima Javed | Gwadar Pro Oct 28, 2022



KARACHI, Oct. 28 (Gwadar Pro)-Pakistan and China on Thursday agreed to start the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway from Karachi to Peshawar and the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project. Pakistan Railway's KCR project will be started under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) instead of Public Private Partnership mode.
Talking to the media on Thursday Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal said the two sides had achieved consensus during the 11th meeting of the Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) on CPEC held virtually, on major things including the signing of agreements on ML-1 and KCR through institutional formalities.
Earlier the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had cleared the Karachi Circular Railway Project (KCR) worth Rs. 292.389 billion.
The project envisages the construction of 44 kilometers long and dedicated track starting from Drigh Road and passing through different areas including Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Federal B Area, Liaquatabad, North Nazimabad, Nazimabad, Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), and Lyari.
The scope of work includes the construction of horizontal and vertical curvature, roadway/railway cross-section elements, ramp gradients, and layout of structures concerning the alignment.
The scope of work also includes construction stations, provision of drivers, informatory, regulatory, and warning signs, passenger facilitation signs along with allied facilities, and route alignment of the KCR. 
The project is a part of an overall scheme for the improvement of transport infrastructure including road network, provision of public transport/mass transit facilities, and traffic management in Karachi.
The development of KCR as a modern urban railway will add to the existing public transport facilities in Karachi which have fallen short to meet the incremental demand over the last few decades due to the non-availability of modern mass transit facilities and declining supply of large buses while the city continues to expand in population and urban area.
The main objective of the project is to provide reliable, safe, and environmentally friendly public transport to the metropolitan city of Karachi. The project entails the construction of a dual-track urban rail mass transit system expected to be constructed in four years.
The project is expected to serve 457,000 passengers every day which is expected to rise to 1 million per day in the future. The project will deploy the use of electric trains and will be operational for seven days a week and 17 hours a day. Thirty stations would be constructed under the project along the corridor covering the densely populated areas of the city.
The development of KCR as a modern urban railway will add to the existing public transport facilities in Karachi which have fallen short to meet the incremental demand over the last few decades due to the non-availability of modern mass transit facilities and declining supply of large buses while the city continues to expand in population and urban area.
The main objective of the project is to provide reliable, safe, and environmentally friendly public transport to the metropolitan city of Karachi. The project entails the construction of a dual-track urban rail mass transit system expected to be constructed in four years.
The project is expected to serve 457,000 passengers every day which is expected to rise to 1 million per day in the future. The project will deploy the use of electric trains and will be operational for seven days a week and 17 hours a day. Thirty stations would be constructed under the project along the corridor covering the densely populated areas of the city.

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## ghazi52

Pakistan and China on Thursday agreed to execute the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project at an estimated cost of $10 billion, sources reported.

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) also decided to undertake business-to-business deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan will also request for the rollover of deposits and rescheduling of its $27 billion debt.
During the meeting, Pakistan assured China of taking several initiatives for the security of Chinese working under CPEC projects. Both sides have agreed to expand their cooperation in information technology and it was decided that Chinese companies will establish research centers in Pakistan to explore new avenues in this sector.

Pakistan and China held the 11th JCC meeting virtually but both sides could not sign the minutes of the meeting. It was expected that the minutes of the meeting will be signed during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who, along with a high-powered delegation, will be visiting China from November 1, 2022.

The CPEC meeting was held in Islamabad with both sides expressing satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC while several other projects were proposed. The meeting was co-chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Vice Chairman National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), China, Lin Nianxiu.

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## ghazi52

,.,.
*Pakistan Railways (PR) and Chinese mechanical engineers are in the process of manufacturing 34 locomotive engines worth Rs1.5 billion at the Mughalpura railway workshop in Lahore.*

Instead of importing the engines, which would have come at a cost of Rs15 billion, around three locomotives are being manufactured each month until all of them are set to be rolled out by next year, sources said.

The engines will be in service on the Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Quetta sections.

It is estimated that the engines can be used for freight and passenger trains for the next 11 years.

According to the sources, all these locomotive engines were imported from China in 2014 and a contract was signed with the Chinese company for the maintenance of these engines in 2017.

However, due to some reasons, the project was delayed. “But now that the situation has improved, work on the restoration of these engines has started in right earnest”.

They said by August 2023, a total of 34 locomotives will become fully part of the train operations.

“PR mechanical engineers and Chinese engineers are working together with the workshop staff in shifts,” the sources shared and said that the workers are equipped with modern technology which is low-cost and environment-friendly

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## ghazi52

.,.,
China to export high-speed train technology to Pakistan​Reuters

*BEIJING: China will export technology for a 160 km/h high-speed railway train to Pakistan, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.*

A first batch of 46 train carriages has been loaded and will be shipped on Nov. 3.

Parts for another 184 carriages will be delivered to Pakistan to assemble, the report said, adding this is the first time China has exported the technology.

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## Ghessan

ghazi52 said:


> .,.,
> China to export high-speed train technology to Pakistan​Reuters
> 
> *BEIJING: China will export technology for a 160 km/h high-speed railway train to Pakistan, state broadcaster CCTV said on Wednesday.*
> 
> A first batch of 46 train carriages has been loaded and will be shipped on Nov. 3.
> 
> Parts for another 184 carriages will be delivered to Pakistan to assemble, the report said, adding this is the first time China has exported the technology.


Where would they run those trains when infrastructure is still to lay. 
Existing infrastructure isn't able to run trains with 160km.


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## peagle

War Eagle said:


> Is there any plan to transition to standard gauges or will they be sticking to Indian gauge for all new/updated railways?



If you mean broad gauge as that I believe is the standard term, then to my knowledge it will remain the same.
It wouldn't make sense to use a different gauge on a single line. Previously, Pakistan had also used narrow gauge on some lines but I think mostly they are no longer operational.



ghazi52 said:


> Pakistan and China on Thursday agreed to execute the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project at an estimated cost of $10 billion, sources reported.
> 
> The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) also decided to undertake business-to-business deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan will also request for the rollover of deposits and rescheduling of its $27 billion debt.
> During the meeting, Pakistan assured China of taking several initiatives for the security of Chinese working under CPEC projects. Both sides have agreed to expand their cooperation in information technology and it was decided that Chinese companies will establish research centers in Pakistan to explore new avenues in this sector.
> 
> Pakistan and China held the 11th JCC meeting virtually but both sides could not sign the minutes of the meeting. It was expected that the minutes of the meeting will be signed during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who, along with a high-powered delegation, will be visiting China from November 1, 2022.
> 
> The CPEC meeting was held in Islamabad with both sides expressing satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC while several other projects were proposed. The meeting was co-chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Vice Chairman National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), China, Lin Nianxiu.
> 
> View attachment 890237


Let's hope this time it actually goes ahead, with actual construction started, sick of hearing that it has been approved, same news repeated over and over again.

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## ghazi52

With load of wagons...

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## ghazi52

,.,.,
*Pakistan on Monday rushed to approve two infrastructure projects under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at a cost of over $11.3 billion aimed at putting them before the Chinese authorities for fast-track implementation during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visit.*

The Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the $10 billion Mainline-I project of Pakistan Railways and the $1.3 billion Karachi Circular Railway project. It was an emergency meeting as no Ecnec huddle was slated for Monday.

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## ghazi52



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## ghazi52

.,.,,

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## FuturePAF

I hope Pakistan and China think strategically and extend the railway to Gwadar. While transporting freight by railway is more expensive then by ship, cargo already on a railcar coming from Peshawar and now at Karachi doesn’t take much more to go further down the track then to be offloaded and then put on a ship at Gwadar.

Secondly, the time saving of offloading at Gwadar would make it advantageous for certain perishable cargo such as food stuffs.

Goods could be offloaded at Gwadar and put on a ship for transportation to Muscat, a 450 km journey, where it could meet the proposed GCC railway. 450 km SLOC is short enough that if Pakistan purchased the Type 052E destroyer, two surface action task forces could defend from the Indians thinking of blockading Pakistan from outside supplies. Also, 450 km is short enough of a distance that it could be done by a freighter in under 24 hours. 

A railway along the coast would also make building SEZs there more attractive to investors because it would be more cost effective.

An extension to the railway, sometime later could made to Taftan, for east-west connections (Iran and Europe to the East, Quetta and Afghanistan to the West).

It’s the only way the Gwadar port would be viable and be able to make good use of its very large deep water potential capacity.

This would also make the GCC railway more viable, as it could be extended into south Yemen and then Africa via a tunnel to Djibouti, and connecting to the Ethiopian railway network, and give impetus to invest in a trans-African railway network for a number of investors.

Work on a Trans-Afghan Railway will progress as soon as the Poltics and financing are worked out, but in the mean time, Gwadar needs to be linked as part of rebuilding Mainline 1, IMHO, to make it an engine of growth and to help repay the investment into the railway.

Long term, if relations with India improve, the railway is already connected to India in the Thar desert, so shipping goods to and from India and all points west via our rail corridor would be potentially more cost effective for most investors, especially considering the dedicated freight corridors India is building, and the common rail gauge we have in common.

This would also be the most tangible way for Pakistan to build up its diplomatic influence in the region; geo-economic, without ruffling too many feathers.

Finally, while this would be at the expense of some trade going to Karachi, the increase in economic activity, overtime, would bring even more business to the port and city, as the national economy would be growing and the infrastructure at Gwadar wouldn’t be built up until it reaches near its capacity.

https://www.protenders.com/projects/gcc-railway-network









Trans-African railway line hopes to boost regional trade


The African Union has an ambitious plan to connect the port of Dakar in West Africa to the port of Djibouti in East Africa, linking 10 countries, many of them landlocked.




www.aljazeera.com





P.s. *with the GCC railway, Pakistan will have an alternative route to Europe then just the rail route via Iran.* This would fit into the GCC plans of isolating the Iranians, and incentivize Pakistan not to build rail links with Iran. These ports and rail linkages are the key to the CPEC and the BRI/OBOR and to Gwadar being viable. They also don’t compete directly with the GCC ports, but can complement them, and that will hopefully attract investment from the GCC countries.

The Omanis know Gwadar can be beneficial to them. The historical ties should also make the venture a good way to pair the two ports, in fact, Omani investment for a rail link would keep it outside the Sino-US rivalry, and potentially keep it out of any blowback as part of the new Cold War.

Furthermore, a lot of people from Gwadar live and work in Oman, a ferry/freighter could be profitable for people moving between the Arabian peninsula and Pakistan, possibly to include pilgrims and tourists. These kinds of deep ties with Oman, built on economics and people to people contact could help counter Indian influence in Oman, and help keep an eye on Indian influence in the Western Arabian Sea.









Oman offer to build Gwadar railway conjures Pakistan port's past


Singaporean investment also weighed as Belt and Road stop lacks train access




asia.nikkei.com













Cargo Ferry Concept Replaces Truck Transport


A new competitive and eco-friendly maritime transport concept, the Cargo Ferry project, was presented in Oslo on April 20. The result of more than




maritime-executive.com

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## ghazi52

​
Shahbaz Rana
November 06, 2022


*ISLAMABAD: *According to the draft minutes of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC, both the sides have also agreed to strengthen capabilities of the law-enforcement agencies and investigators.

*Transport sector*

Pakistan and China have extended the Framework Agreement for $10 billion Main Line (ML)-1 project for the next 5 years, as both sides could not timely begin the project implementation.

The draft minutes suggested that the “Pakistani side has accepted the RMB financing proposal from the Chinese side for the ML-1 project” – withdrawing its demand to get the $8.4 billion loan in mix of US and Chinese currency.

Against Pakistan’s wish to sign a commercial contract, it was agreed that the bidding process of the ML-I project would commence immediately and it would be completed before the end of the year.

This will follow the signing of a commercial contract and financial close of the project. Both sides agreed on the project implementation milestones agreement where the ground breaking of the project is planned in March 2023.

Ahsan Iqbal said that President Xi Jinping has given directions for the fast-track implementation of the ML-I and the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) project.

Both sides agreed to sign the Framework Agreement on the analogy of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (OLMTP) for the execution of the $1.3 billion KCR project.

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## FuturePAF

ghazi52 said:


> ​
> Shahbaz Rana
> November 06, 2022
> 
> 
> *ISLAMABAD: *According to the draft minutes of the 11th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of the CPEC, both the sides have also agreed to strengthen capabilities of the law-enforcement agencies and investigators.
> 
> *Transport sector*
> 
> Pakistan and China have extended the Framework Agreement for $10 billion Main Line (ML)-1 project for the next 5 years, as both sides could not timely begin the project implementation.
> 
> The draft minutes suggested that the “Pakistani side has accepted the RMB financing proposal from the Chinese side for the ML-1 project” – withdrawing its demand to get the $8.4 billion loan in mix of US and Chinese currency.
> 
> Against Pakistan’s wish to sign a commercial contract, it was agreed that the bidding process of the ML-I project would commence immediately and it would be completed before the end of the year.
> 
> This will follow the signing of a commercial contract and financial close of the project. Both sides agreed on the project implementation milestones agreement where the ground breaking of the project is planned in March 2023.
> 
> Ahsan Iqbal said that President Xi Jinping has given directions for the fast-track implementation of the ML-I and the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) project.
> 
> Both sides agreed to sign the Framework Agreement on the analogy of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project (OLMTP) for the execution of the $1.3 billion KCR project.


Better to start ASAP (the price isn’t going to go any lower), as any delays would only see the price go higher and with the global recession is upon us and financing is drying up otherwise.

Just hope they build the railway to prioritize freight so it can recovers its investment and help finance the modernization of the other main lines as well as new extensions, that could make this a true game changer.

Looks like we are sticking with the same rail gauge, perhaps that is for the best, considering all the other equipment we already have.

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## FuturePAF

ghazi52 said:


> .,.,,
> View attachment 893058
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 893059


I would’ve hoped they’d put air conditioning units into these cars, but it’s still an upgrade over the current rolling stock.

Any indication what the bathrooms look like?
Also, if Pakistan going to get new engine to pull these carriages at 160 kmph? Something like the CR200J’s diesel-electric models. The colors also nearly match.



https://m.weibo.cn/status/Kd38nxXtX?jumpfrom=weibocom



I hope we also get the dining car used with the CR200J. If travel times can be kept on schedule, then meals can be picked up at each station, reducing the need to have food cooked on board, similar to airlines or even intercity buses.

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## ghazi52

.,.,.,
Once signed, the ML-1 project may take about eight years to reach the commercial operations stage​The project aims to increase passenger train speed from 65 to 160km per hour and freight train from 37 to 120km per hour.

Pakistan and China are planning to arrange bidding for $10 billion Mainline-1 — the 1,872km Railway Track along with associated facilities from Karachi to Peshawar — next month (December) and have agreed to have its foreign exchange component of $8.4bn fully financed through Renminbi (RMB) based Chinese loan.

The bidding would be among the leading Chinese companies to be identified and recommended by the Chinese government. During the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif early this month, both sides agreed to immediately activate their respective teams of technical and financial experts to fast-track progress on the much-delayed project.

The Executive Committee approved the project of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) hours before Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to Beijing at a total cost of $9.85bn subject to the recommendation of cost, technical details by the third party consultant and preferably an equity participation financial model.

The project was part of the original $46bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework but could not take off in more than eight years while most of its sister energy sector portfolio was up and running a few years back. The fresh push comes at a time Beijing has already become the single largest lender to Pakistan with an over $23bn existing debt portfolio.

The project aims to increase passenger train speed from 65 to 160km per hour and freight train from 37 to 120km per hour

On the basis of bidding results, the financial teams of the two countries would then finalise detailed term sheets of the Chinese loan and financing plan to be spread over eight years of project implementation. This will be carried out in a way that the entire loan portfolio is not booked on Islamabad’s accounts and instead is drawn gradually in line with the project requirements.

During these meetings, the two sides broadly agreed that the entire Chinese loan would be in RMB as pressed by Beijing since most of the foreign exchange has to be utilised for machinery and material imports from China.

Pakistan had been insisting on a Chinese loan mix of US dollars and RMB. It had to give in given the project’s criticality, whose funding significance has increased manifold after recent devastating floods damaged a lot of railway infrastructure and is posing risks of a major tragedy. The Chinese loan is expected to be a mix of a Central Chinese Government loan and a sovereign guaranteed loan.

The two sides are aiming to complete negotiations leading to commercial contract signing that would be followed by financial closure by the Chinese contractors with a target to hit groundbreaking latest by end-March 2023. After signing, the project is expected to take about eight years and six months to reach the commercial operations stage, i.e. by September 30, 2031.

To cover these milestones, the two sides have extended the five-year framework (second) agreement signed on May 5, 2017, and expired six months ago. The two governments signed the first framework agreement on April 20, 2015, for a feasibility study for ML-1 upgradation and modernisation.

The project cost was estimated at $9.2bn in February 2020, with a financing share of 10:90 between Pakistan and China. However, this was revised to $6.8bn in August 2020 through cost rationalisation, but the Chinese side remained unconvinced and hence uninterested.

The project costs have been revised again to $9.85bn, including a Chinese financing of $8.4bn (85pc), with the remainder of $1.48bn or 15pc to be financed through local resources. At an exchange rate of Rs200/dollar, the total project cost is Rs1.97 trillion, including a Chinese share of Rs1.675tr and Pakistan’s Rs296bn.

Considered the country’s logistic backbone, the ML-1 starts from Karachi, passes through Kotri/Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and terminates at Peshawar but is now in dilapidated condition at present. Its freight and passenger traffic crawls between 37km per hour and 65km per hour, respectively. The 1,872 km line includes a 55km Taxila-Havelian section and a 91km Lodhran-Khanewal section.

The project also involves the upgradation of existing ML-1, the establishment of a dry port near Havelian Railway station, the upgradation of Railway Academy Lahore and the improvement of facilities and stations in Karachi, Hyderabad and Rohri in Sindh, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Punjab and Nowshera and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The project aims to increase passenger train speed to up to 160km per hour and that of a freight train to 120km per hour with increased axle load from 22 tonnes to 25 tonnes and to increase the number of freight trains to 171 per day from less than 34.

Under a recent decision of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the ministry of railways would set up a project implementation unit for monitoring and timely implementation. Moreover, a steering committee would be constituted by the minister for railways with representation from all stakeholders to oversee progress.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways will be required to update its Railway Business Plan and Railway Strategic Plan along with a roadmap for the future transformation of existing systems into electric traction systems.

While the project is of utmost importance to Pakistan’s passenger and freight transport, even upon completion, this would remain an island — unable to meet the country’s requirements in isolation.

In the words of the planning commission, “the railway sector in Pakistan does not have the governance framework, institutional framework, management process or regulatory framework to compete in an increasingly challenging 21st century transport market effectively.”

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, November 14th, 2022

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## Luosifen

Pakistan Railways set to hire highly qualified experts for ML-1 project execution​ 
By Mian Abrar | Gwadar Pro Nov 20, 2022



LAHORE, Nov. 20 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan Railways is planning to hire highly qualified experts from private sectors for the administrative matters of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project.
The decision was made in a meeting presided over by Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique held here at the PR Headquarters on Saturday.
ML-1 is a US$ 10 billion project that aims at up-gradation and dualisation of railtrack from Karachi to Peshawar and Taxila to Havelian. The project involves 1733-kilometer-long laying of a new track with improved subgrade for 160 km/h speed from existing 65-105 km/h to 120-160 km/h. Rehabilitation and construction of major railway bridges, provision of modern signaling and telecom systems and conversion of level crossings into underpasses and flyovers is also included in the project. Fencing of track and establishment of dry port near Havelian and up-gradation of Walton Training Academy is also on the table.









Pakistan Railways set to hire highly qualified experts for ML-1 project execution


LAHORE, Nov. 20 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan Railways is planning to hire highly qualified experts from p




gwadarpro.pk

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## ghazi52

.,.,
46 new coaches consignment exported for Pakistan Railways reached Karachi port. Modern bogies arriving in Pakistan are manufactured in China.





__ https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=828941765046976

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## ghazi52

,..,
Pakistan Railways receives first batch of high-speed rail coaches from China​November 28, 2022





KARACHI: Pakistan Railways on Sunday received the first 46 out of 230 new high-speed passenger coaches from China.

The new rail coaches reached Karachi port and will be transported to Lahore by the Karachi-Lahore main line-1 by end of this month, the authorities said.

Pakistan and China’s CRRC Tangshan Locomotive & Rolling Stock Company inked an agreement in November 2021 for the supply of 230 high-speed coaches to Pakistan Railways as part of a plan to upgrade and enhance long-distance passenger services in the country.

The PR spokesperson said that passenger rail coaches will include 80 compartments each for economy and air-conditioned class, 30 parlour cars, and 20 vans each for luggage and brake.

Two hundred freight vans will be imported, while 620 of such bogies will be prepared at the factory, he added.

Under $140 million contract (Rs31 billion, approximately), the Chinese company is to manufacture 230 state-of-the-art passenger coaches, of which 46 will be provided as completely built units and the remaining 184 will be manufactured in Pakistan by the PR engineers and technical staff under the supervision of the Chinese experts.

It merits mentioning that the PR is working to upgrade the dilapidated track (ML-1) as the Khanpur-Kotri section is not fit for high-speed train operation.


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## Sliver

what is the anticipated speed of this high speed train? what is the current speed in this line? any context please? thank you

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## ghazi52

.,,..

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## FuturePAF

ghazi52 said:


> .,.,.,
> Once signed, the ML-1 project may take about eight years to reach the commercial operations stage​The project aims to increase passenger train speed from 65 to 160km per hour and freight train from 37 to 120km per hour.
> 
> Pakistan and China are planning to arrange bidding for $10 billion Mainline-1 — the 1,872km Railway Track along with associated facilities from Karachi to Peshawar — next month (December) and have agreed to have its foreign exchange component of $8.4bn fully financed through Renminbi (RMB) based Chinese loan.
> 
> The bidding would be among the leading Chinese companies to be identified and recommended by the Chinese government. During the meeting of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif early this month, both sides agreed to immediately activate their respective teams of technical and financial experts to fast-track progress on the much-delayed project.
> 
> The Executive Committee approved the project of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) hours before Prime Minister Sharif’s visit to Beijing at a total cost of $9.85bn subject to the recommendation of cost, technical details by the third party consultant and preferably an equity participation financial model.
> 
> The project was part of the original $46bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) framework but could not take off in more than eight years while most of its sister energy sector portfolio was up and running a few years back. The fresh push comes at a time Beijing has already become the single largest lender to Pakistan with an over $23bn existing debt portfolio.
> 
> The project aims to increase passenger train speed from 65 to 160km per hour and freight train from 37 to 120km per hour
> 
> On the basis of bidding results, the financial teams of the two countries would then finalise detailed term sheets of the Chinese loan and financing plan to be spread over eight years of project implementation. This will be carried out in a way that the entire loan portfolio is not booked on Islamabad’s accounts and instead is drawn gradually in line with the project requirements.
> 
> During these meetings, the two sides broadly agreed that the entire Chinese loan would be in RMB as pressed by Beijing since most of the foreign exchange has to be utilised for machinery and material imports from China.
> 
> Pakistan had been insisting on a Chinese loan mix of US dollars and RMB. It had to give in given the project’s criticality, whose funding significance has increased manifold after recent devastating floods damaged a lot of railway infrastructure and is posing risks of a major tragedy. The Chinese loan is expected to be a mix of a Central Chinese Government loan and a sovereign guaranteed loan.
> 
> The two sides are aiming to complete negotiations leading to commercial contract signing that would be followed by financial closure by the Chinese contractors with a target to hit groundbreaking latest by end-March 2023. After signing, the project is expected to take about eight years and six months to reach the commercial operations stage, i.e. by September 30, 2031.
> 
> To cover these milestones, the two sides have extended the five-year framework (second) agreement signed on May 5, 2017, and expired six months ago. The two governments signed the first framework agreement on April 20, 2015, for a feasibility study for ML-1 upgradation and modernisation.
> 
> The project cost was estimated at $9.2bn in February 2020, with a financing share of 10:90 between Pakistan and China. However, this was revised to $6.8bn in August 2020 through cost rationalisation, but the Chinese side remained unconvinced and hence uninterested.
> 
> The project costs have been revised again to $9.85bn, including a Chinese financing of $8.4bn (85pc), with the remainder of $1.48bn or 15pc to be financed through local resources. At an exchange rate of Rs200/dollar, the total project cost is Rs1.97 trillion, including a Chinese share of Rs1.675tr and Pakistan’s Rs296bn.
> 
> Considered the country’s logistic backbone, the ML-1 starts from Karachi, passes through Kotri/Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and terminates at Peshawar but is now in dilapidated condition at present. Its freight and passenger traffic crawls between 37km per hour and 65km per hour, respectively. The 1,872 km line includes a 55km Taxila-Havelian section and a 91km Lodhran-Khanewal section.
> 
> The project also involves the upgradation of existing ML-1, the establishment of a dry port near Havelian Railway station, the upgradation of Railway Academy Lahore and the improvement of facilities and stations in Karachi, Hyderabad and Rohri in Sindh, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi in Punjab and Nowshera and Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
> 
> The project aims to increase passenger train speed to up to 160km per hour and that of a freight train to 120km per hour with increased axle load from 22 tonnes to 25 tonnes and to increase the number of freight trains to 171 per day from less than 34.
> 
> Under a recent decision of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), the ministry of railways would set up a project implementation unit for monitoring and timely implementation. Moreover, a steering committee would be constituted by the minister for railways with representation from all stakeholders to oversee progress.
> 
> Meanwhile, the Ministry of Railways will be required to update its Railway Business Plan and Railway Strategic Plan along with a roadmap for the future transformation of existing systems into electric traction systems.
> 
> While the project is of utmost importance to Pakistan’s passenger and freight transport, even upon completion, this would remain an island — unable to meet the country’s requirements in isolation.
> 
> In the words of the planning commission, “the railway sector in Pakistan does not have the governance framework, institutional framework, management process or regulatory framework to compete in an increasingly challenging 21st century transport market effectively.”
> 
> Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, November 14th, 2022


I hope they include electrification (that allow cargo to be carried double stacked), modern signals, and underpasses at areas where major vehicle traffic is common.

The goal has to be to maximize *average* train speeds. If trains can keep to their schedules, food can be prepared at stations and brought on board, freeing up a car from having to prepare food on board. Also, if the railway is given land adjacent to the tracks it can allow dry ports in the outskirts of each city as well as revenue generating business around train stations (like hotels, offices, and apartments) to fund the cost of operating passenger rail and allow ticket prices to remain affordable, as is done in Japan. 

I also hope the main line route is improved in places to connect to some airports (allowing travelers to fly into one city, and use the train to connect seamlessly to their final destination city) as well as connect to bus terminals or rebuild the bus terminals alongside train terminals in each city, so maximize destinations people can reach through connections. These connections can be feeder routes for the trains and the trains can be feeder routes for the buses and planes.

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## ghazi52

,..,,.


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## ghazi52

.,.,.,.,.
Pakistan Railways (PR) has been talking about its plans to introduce new, high-tech, and high-speed passenger bogies, but there’s no point in importing them if they don’t even work.

The latest report from Express News reveals that these bogies were imported from China at a cost of $149 million and are unable to run.

The brakes on these bogies have a critical mechanical fault. Due to the lack of pressure, the brakes cannot function properly at any speed.

The report adds that the government had sent 88 Pakistan Railways (PR) officers to China to inspect the bogies. Why the department sent a small army to inspect these trains is anybody’s guess. However, despite a two-week visit, none could point out this critical mechanical fault.

It also stated that each officer that went to China, received $100 per day for their duties, which adds up to $123,200 or nearly Rs. 2.79 crore based on the current exchange rate. Keep in mind this is just a napkin math figure, the actual expenses may be much higher


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