Ministry of Railways highlights safety, digitalization and tracking reforms along with ML-1
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Railways Muhammad Hanif Abbasi said an agreement for the ML-1 project had been finalized with the Asian Development Bank, calling it an important step towards modernization of the railway network.
During a meeting in Islamabad with ADB Director General Leah Gutierrez and Defense Secretary Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ali, Abbasi said steps were being taken to advance the project, which he wants to see completed as soon as possible.
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The meeting was also attended by Secretary Power Division Dr Fakhar Alam Irfan and Director General National Logistics Cell Major General Farrukh Shehzad Rao.
Abbasi said Pakistan’s first “safe and smart train station” had been set up in Rawalpindi with an artificial intelligence-based monitoring system and 184 surveillance cameras.
He added that a Rail Tag system had been introduced allowing real-time tracking of trains and rolling stock, which he said would improve transparency and efficiency.
According to the ministry, around 70% of passenger traffic is covered by free Wi-Fi at major stations and ATMs have been installed to support electronic payments.
Officials described ML-1 as the central rail corridor, saying it carries about 80% of passenger traffic and 90% of freight nationwide, and argued that aging infrastructure requires urgent upgrades.
Defense Secretary Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ali and other officials took note of the ministry’s reform initiatives and acknowledged efforts to improve Pakistan’s railways.
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The meeting ended with an understanding to continue institutional cooperation and coordination in railway projects. Officials said the groundbreaking ceremony for the Karachi-Rohri section of ML-1 is planned for July 2026.
Earlier, experts from the Asian Development Bank had already carried out on-site inspections of the Karachi-Rohri stretch and reviewed the existing infrastructure as part of a fact-finding exercise to evaluate financing options. Officials say the section carries most of the freight and passenger traffic.
