Under the next phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Karachi-Peshawar railway tracks will be made signal-free and gate-free, Radio Pakistan reported Sunday.

Work on the project will be initiated in January and the first phase will focus on the Rawalpindi-Peshawar tracks.

A fence similar to those at the motorway will be built around the tracks, and an underpass or overhead bridge will be built at every gate on the tracks, official sources claim.

Sources said authorities have completed planning on the project.

Pakistan Railways is also preparing a feasibility report for linking of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) with Peshawar and Torkham by rail.

Pakistan Railways is also devising a strategy for an alternative route of the Chaman-Spin Boldak rail to approach Afghanistan and Central Asia via Torkham, with a focus on trade volume.