Asian Development Bank Team Assesses 480-km Stretch for Possible Funding Support
KARACHI, July 2025: A high-level delegation from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) visited the Karachi–Rohri railway section, a pivotal part of the long-awaited Main Line-1 (ML-1) upgrade project, on Saturday. Led by ADB Chief Transport Planner Sangyoon Kim, the team comprised infrastructure specialists and senior officials from Pakistan Railways.
The 480-kilometer stretch, which handles key freight and passenger traffic, including coal from Thar and mineral reserves from Reko Diq, is under evaluation for its feasibility and financing potential as part of ML-1’s Phase 1.
Officials confirmed that the ADB team would also consult with Pakistan Railways’ leadership and Chinese engineers to explore collaborative funding pathways. The ML-1 project, spanning 1,872 km from Karachi to Peshawar, aims to modernize Pakistan’s core rail network by increasing speeds to 160 km/h, doubling capacity, and enhancing safety.
With China slowing its investment in ML-1 due to delays, Pakistan is now engaging ADB and other financiers to revive momentum. A structured financing proposal could reverse infrastructure decline and prevent further service deterioration due to frequent derailments.
The visit signals renewed interest in reviving Pakistan’s rail backbone through multilateral partnerships.