By Amin Ahmed
ISLAMABAD: Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi on Friday informed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Railways that the Punjab government had expressed willingness to finance Rs350 billion for the upgradation and dualisation of railway tracks in the province.
Briefing the committee, Mr Abbasi said that during a recent meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz in Lahore, she showed interest in supporting the infrastructure initiative, which aligns with the broader goals of modernising Pakistan鈥檚 railway network.
The Main Line-1 (ML-1) project, being carried out under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), is a key part of this effort and aims to upgrade the country鈥檚 primary rail corridor from Karachi to Peshawar. With an estimated cost of $6.8bn, the project is expected to enhance transport efficiency, reduce travel time, and facilitate freight and passenger movement, particularly as part of Pakistan鈥檚 regional connectivity strategy with Central Asia.
Meanwhile, Mr Abbasi announced