ML-1: Final survey stage; consultant contract signed, report exchange starts

Practical and technical work on Main Line-1 (ML-1), the country’s largest railway infrastructure project, has formally commenced, pushing the mega venture into the final stages of field survey and engineering design

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jul, 2026) Practical and technical work on Main Line-1 (ML-1), the country’s largest railway infrastructure project, has formally commenced, pushing the mega venture into the final stages of field survey and engineering design.

38-point report presented to National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways focusing on cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and alternative financing options, the Government of Pakistan, after completing all codal and legal formalities, signed a formal contract agreement with international consultant firm M/s DOWHA Engineering on June 5, 2026. Following the signing, the first draft of the Environmental and Social (E&S) survey report along with the Design Basis Report (DBR) was shared with the consultant on June 15, 2026. The consulting firm is currently working at an accelerated pace on the project’s Inception Report.

It is pertinent to mention here that the high-level special committee was constituted under the chairmanship of the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs following a high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister. The core mandate of the committee is to deliberate upon effective financing strategies and funding options for the upgradation of railway infrastructure.

The high-powered committee comprises key national institutions and ministries, including representatives from the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives, Finance Division, Military Intelligence (MI), National Logistics Corporation (NLC), and Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A).

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The committee was tasked with finalizing its recommendations within one month for submission to the Prime Minister, with the Ministry of Railways assigned to provide secretariat support.

Under its Terms of Reference (ToRs), the committee has formulated a robust "ring-fencing" model to secure ML-1 revenues exclusively for the sustainability of this specific project, alongside exploring immediate funding options. Furthermore, the committee has established institutional alignment with other federal ministries to avoid any duplication of funding and to bring other strategic railway projects into the consultation loop.

The committee has also directed a detailed briefing on the Pipri project and all packages of ML-1, issuing strict directives to all stakeholders to ensure project timelines are met in accordance with the ADB framework. With these high-level recommendations and recent technical agreements, the ML-1 project has transitioned from documentation to active field execution. The joint oversight by SIFC, civil, and military institutions has streamlined the financial strategy to advance the project under both CPEC and non-CPEC funding models, paving the way for a major transformation in Pakistan Railways.