LAHORE: Pakistan Railways (PR) and the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) have joined hands to upgrade the Main Line-2 (ML-2) as dedicated freight corridor, enabling the authorities to transport goods to several cities in the country within short time.

The dedicated freight corridor project will cost around $2 billion, according to Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi.

“We had an important meeting with the NLC authorities on Thursday wherein we both agreed to start working for developing a dedicated freight corridor at the ML-2 starting from Kotri and ending at Attock. For this, we agreed to appoint an international consultant to carry out feasibility and other preparatory works ahead of executing this vital project,” Mr Abbasi explained while talking to Dawn on Thursday.

“The project will cost around $2bn that will be arranged by NLC on its own by getting financed through banks or funding agencies,” he revealed.

It merits mentioning that the ML-2 is an important route measuring nearly 1,250 kilometers. There are over 90 operational railway stations from Kotri to Attock, including many in interior Sindh. The important stations situated on the route include Kotri, Sehwan Sharif, Dadu, Mohenjodaro, Larkana, Shah Nawaz Bhutto, Habibkot, Shikarpur, Jacobabad, Kandkot, Kot Mithan, Rajanpur, Jampur, DG Khan, Shadan Lund, Bhakkar, Piplan, Mianwali, Jand and Attock City.

NLC to arrange $2bn through banks or funding agencies

The minister said the ML-2 [upgrade] project would have a new and a dedicated track for the goods/freight trains with various other modern facilities.

Talking about the launch of the phase-1 (Karachi-Rohri) of the ML-1 project, he said the PR is trying hard for the ground breaking of this mega scheme in July this year. “The phase-1 of ML-1 projects consists of 480km. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has already agreed to finance the ML-1’s phase-1. The financing arrangements for rest of the phases of ML-1 scheme are also being done in collaboration with other international funding institutions,” he maintained.

Mr Abbasi said the work on the rehabilitation/upgrade of the ML-3 project (Rohri-Taftan via Sibbi and Quetta) is expected to begin in April, this year. This route measuring over 1,000km is very important especially in terms of international freight operations (Pakistan to Turkiye via Iran).

Meanwhile, PR’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Amir Ali Baloch confirmed that various teams of the ADB had visited the ML-1’s phase-1 project sites (Karachi-Rohri) three times, advancing the pace of funding-related works. “The detailed discussions have already been held with the bank authorities. And now we are very hopeful of starting work in July this year,” he told Dawn when contacted.

He said the $6.7 billion ML-1 project would be executed in phases, starting from Karachi-Rohri section first.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026