Pakistan Railways has prepared a Rs45 billion plan to upgrade around 1,415 kilometres of railway tracks across Punjab. The project aims to improve safety, connectivity and passenger services between major cities, according to 24NewsHD TV.
The development was discussed during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways on Monday. Officials also presented the department’s financial and infrastructure plans for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Lahore-Rawalpindi Route Gets Priority
The 283-kilometre Lahore-Rawalpindi railway section will receive priority under the Punjab track improvement programme. Eight branch lines connected to the route are also included in the planned upgrades.
Pakistan Railways has set a traffic revenue target of Rs101 billion for the 2026-27 financial year. Officials said improving infrastructure and passenger services would be important for achieving stronger operational and financial performance.
Committee member Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto raised concerns about the condition of railway tracks. She said poor maintenance had contributed to repeated train derailments and called for greater attention to railway infrastructure.
For the Sher Shah-Kundian section, Rs758 million has been allocated for track safety works. Another Rs378.716 million has been allocated for safety improvements between Rohri and Sukkur.
Engineering design and planning for the Karachi-Rohri main railway line are also underway. Officials said the planning work is expected to be completed by December 2026 with support from the Asian Development Bank.
ML-1 Work Set to Begin
The committee was also briefed on progress on the Kotri-Dadu railway section. Officials said around 80 percent of the project has been completed, with completion expected by June 2027.
However, work on the Keamari-Hyderabad section remains limited because no funds are currently available. Officials said only around four percent of the work on the Keamari section has been completed.
The committee also approved a special request to the prime minister for support for the Sukkur-Rohri section following a request from MNA Waseem Qadir.
Railway officials said work on the long-awaited ML-1 project is expected to begin this year. They said Rs40 billion has been received for the project, with Rs25 billion allocated for the initial work.
According to the Secretary of Railways, authorities aim to complete the first phase within three years before moving towards the next stage of the project.
Karachi Circular Railway Plan
The committee was also informed about the future of the Karachi Circular Railway. Officials said the project is being treated as an urban railway initiative of the Sindh government.
The Sindh government is expected to launch and operate the service. Officials said its operating model would be similar to Lahore’s Orange Line train service.
The committee convener said Pakistan Railways had sufficient potential to become financially self-sustaining if its resources were used effectively. He also called for greater authority for the Railway Board to improve decision-making and departmental performance.
