PM Approves Commercial Use of Railway Land to Support ML-1 Funding
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved using commercial projects on Pakistan Railways land to help secure bank financing for the Main Line-1 upgrade.
Chairing a railway reform meeting on October 7, he directed officials to prepare a comprehensive plan within two weeks. The proposal is intended to put valuable railway assets to productive use while supporting infrastructure investment.
Commercial Development to Support Financing
The prime minister said identified railway land worth billions of rupees should be used commercially to contribute to ML-1 development.
He praised joint efforts by the National Accountability Bureau and the Ministry of Railways to identify and recover land under illegal occupation.
The detailed plan will set out how commercial use of railway properties and bank funding can support construction. The announcement does not specify individual development sites, loan amounts or final financing terms.
ML-1 Upgrade Divided Into Four Sections
Officials briefed the meeting on four major sections of the upgrade:
- Karachi–Rohri.
- Rohri–Multan.
- Multan–Lahore.
- Lahore–Peshawar.
The Karachi–Rohri section is being pursued through international financing, while plans are being developed to fund the remaining sections through domestic resources.
The proposed railway land initiative forms part of that financing effort.
Reforms Aim to Strengthen Pakistan Railways
Shehbaz also called for faster progress on ML-1 and corporate-style reforms to improve Pakistan Railways’ financial position.
He highlighted better passenger services and increased freight transportation as key objectives of the modernisation programme.
The next step is submission of the requested plan, which will provide the practical details needed to turn the approved approach into commercial projects and financing arrangements.