Tracks not fit for high-speed trains, Senate panel told

ISLAMABAD: The railways ministry Tuesday told the Senate Standing Committee on Railways that locomotives and coaches capable of running at speeds over 160 km/h had been built, but unfortunately the country lacked the required tracks to operate such high-speed trains.

Senator Jam Saifullah Khan, the committee chairman, directed the ministry to conduct a feasibility study on upgrading the track system to support high-speed trains.

The ministry briefed the committee on the upcoming, ongoing, and pending projects and the hurdles it was currently facing.

Chairman railways told the committee that during the year 2024–25, a total of 38 projects were underway, with a total cost of Rs260.085 billion.

Out of 38 projects, the ministry successfully completed six and the remaining 32 were carried forward to 2025–26.

Briefing the committee on the ML-1 project (Karachi to Rohri), the chairman described it as the lifeline of the Reko Diq and Thar Coal projects, which are expected to start this year, depending on the provision of funds.

He added that the total estimated cost of ML-1 was Rs2,298.18 billion, and the ministry had submitted a proposal for allocation of Rs75 billion for the financial year 2025–26 to initiate the project.

The committee was also told that a total 12 projects of expansion, track safety, rehabilitation, replacement of tracks, feasibility studies and upgraded security system required proposed allocation of Rs.11076 million during the financial year 2025-26.

The committee demanded the details of delayed projects in the upcoming meeting.

The committee members commended the newly adopted strategy of the ministry to complete the projects partially in different phases.

The meeting was attended by Senators Nasir Mehmood, Dost Ali Jeesar, Asad Qasim, Saifullah Sarwar Khan Nyazee, Kamil Ali Agha, Dost Muhammad Khan, mover Senator Shahadat Awan, and the minister for railways.