The Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project is likely to be completed with $6.6 billion cost, reduced from $9 billion. Chinese officials will share the revised plan of the project with Pakistan’s Planning Commission after ‘one belt one road’ conference, a news channel said.
The ML-1 project’s cost will be reduced by $2.4 billion in the revised plan, sources said. “The sides were agreed over revised plan of the project in the joint working group session held in China,” sources said. “The planning ministry and Chinese officials have discussed the revised plan,” sources said.
“Secretary Railways and Secretary Communications had also attended the joint working group meeting,” according to sources. The cost of the Main Line-1 project was reduced with mutual consultation under the revised plan, sources added.
Pakistan will provide 15% financing for the project. In the first phase, overhead bridges will be constructed, and railway crossings will be closed in populated areas.
Pakistan and China had signed the Main Line-1 (ML-1) framework in May 2017 and the Executive Committee of the NEC approved the project in August 2020.
