A sub-committee of Senate on Railways, on Friday, was informed that the Gwadar port would be connected to the railway network after 2025 as the project remained low on the priority list This was said to be due to the fact that at present, there was no trade activities there nor had any ship trading begun.
However, the Railway officials noted that if the government decided to work on it and provided funds, the project would start soon. They were briefing the sub-committee over Pakistan Railways projects relating to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other initiatives.
The Committee on Railways was given a detailed briefing on Pakistan Railways projects. It was appraised regarding the upgradation of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) and the establishment of a dry port near Havelian.
The latter was said to be an early harvest project, which was due by 2025. The officials further said that a mid-term project to establish a new rail link between Gwadar to Mastung and Besima to Jacobabad would begin in 2025 and end by 2030. Establishing a new rail link from Havelian to Khunjerab was a long-term project, which would commence in 2030, they maintained.
The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Senator John Kenneth Williams here at the Parliament House. Members of the committee were told that the project to up-grade ML-1 stood at $ 8.2 billion and was a strategic commercial project making use of a loan on favourable terms. The upgradation would enhance speed; reduce travel time; enhance the number of trains per day and, hence, generate more revenue while decreasing the burden on roads.
Govt said to accord low priority to Gwadar rail connectivity
To be completed in two phases, the up-gradation would determine preferences on the basis of the continuity of operations and the condition of tracks.
ML-1 was said to be the lifeline of Pakistan railways because of the main earning from this route, which connected Peshawar to Karachi. Touching on the scope of the ML-1 project, the officials asserted that it would include upgradation and doubling of the main line-1 from Karachi to Peshawar and Taxila to Havelian (1872 kilometres).
Under this project, the provision of modern signalling and telecom system was said to be introduced along with the conversion of level crossings into underpasses or flyovers with fenced tracks similar to motorways.
After the completion of ML-1 up-gradation, the PR would be able to increase the trains’ speed from the existing 65-105 km/h to 120-160 km/h.
It would also help increase the freight volume from six to 35 million tonnes per annum by 2025. PR officials also claimed that it would help increase the railway share of freight transport volume from less than four per cent to 20 per cent.
The committee was told that the feasibility study and land acquisition for the midterm project (Gwadar rail connectivity) had been done, and Pakistan Railways would be in a position to start the project as early as financing was received.
The PR already acquired 485 acres of land at Gawadar. If funds were provided to PR for the project, the PR would be able to initiate work there quickly.
The long-term project, however, was in its early stages of feasibility. Without proper road and rail connectivity, Gawadar was just a dream, the official of PR told the committee.
The meeting was attended among others by Senator Gianchand, Secretary Ministry of Railways and Pakistan Railways CEO, Aftab Akbar; PR Member Finance; PR Additional Secretary; Chief Engineer Surveys and Construction and officials.