ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Mainline-1 (ML-1) project worth US$ 6.8 billion will provide over 100,000 employment opportunities to the masses, the Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed said.
The ML-1 project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in its meeting held on Wednesday at the Cabinet Division in Islamabad with the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh in the Chair.
While briefing the media in Islamabad on Thursday, Sheikh Rasheed said that the project will be completed at a fast pace, and it will also reduce the travel duration.
The Railways Minister said that the ML-1 project was the mission of his life. He said that the project will also prove to be helpful in increasing the number of trains.
ایم ایل ون منصوبہ ایکنک نے منظور کر لیا ہے۔منصوبے سے ایک لاکھ سے زائد افراد کو روزگار ملے گا۔منصوبے سے ٹرینوں کی تعداد بھی بڑھے گی۔وزیر ریلوے شیخ رشید احمد @ShkhRasheed pic.twitter.com/AGwzJ5qcMN
— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) August 6, 2020
The execution of the ML-1 project shall be in three packages and in order to avoid commitment charges, the loan amount for each package will be separately contracted.
Under the project existing, 2,655 kilometers track will be upgraded.
The speed of passenger trains will increase from 65/110 kilometers per hour to 165 kilometers per hour and the line capacity will increase from 34 to 137/171 trains each way per day.
In its meeting, the ECNEC also approved the establishment of dry port near Havelian.
Sheikh Rasheed further told media that the work on the Nullah Lai Expressway project will also soon be started.
 in Islamabad on Wednesday.){kind=link}