Pakistan Railways will build a new 480-kilometre Karachi to Rohri railway track, a project costing $2.5 billion, as the first phase of the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project. Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi told the National Assembly on Thursday that the aim is to improve safety and reduce accidents. Civil work on this first phase is likely to begin in January 2027.
ML-1 is the name of a wider railway project, and the Karachi-Rohri section is the first step within it. The minister's central point is that safety is the reason for the work, not only capacity.
Scope of the project
The new line will run for 480 kilometres between Karachi and Rohri, a city in Sindh. The minister put the cost at $2.5 billion, and no breakdown of that figure has been given so far. Pakistan Railways has picked the Karachi to Rohri railway track for the initial phase of ML-1.
Safety record behind the plan
Abbasi told the Assembly that the railway network recorded 349 train derailments between January 2022 and September 2026. Faulty tracks were identified as the leading cause, while staff errors accounted for 95 derailments and defects in rolling stock, meaning trains and wagons, for 64.
The Karachi-Rohri and Rohri-Multan sections are described as among the most accident-prone parts of the network. Ageing tracks there contribute to derailments and need frequent, costly repairs, which is the problem the new line is meant to address.
What happens next
Pakistan Railways is speeding up market consultations and pre-bid preparations, the steps that come before contractors are invited to bid, to meet a timeline set by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Work on the Karachi to Rohri railway track is expected to start in January 2027 if that schedule holds.
No completion date or train timetable for the new line has been announced so far. The announcement focused on safety and the timeline for the first phase.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Pakistan Railways ne Karachi se Rohri tak 480 kilometer ka naya railway track banane ka 2.5 arab dollar ka project elaan kiya hai. Yeh ML-1 project ka pehla hissa hai, aur is ka maqsad hadson aur derailments ko kam karna hai. Kaam January 2027 mein shuru hone ka imkaan hai. Aam musafir ke liye abhi train ke naye timings ya kiraye mein tabdeeli ka elaan nahi hua hai.
