Sheikh Rashid terms ML-I project jugular vein of CPEC

Federal Minister for Railways, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has said Pakistan will utilise the Chinese skill and proficiency in the Railway sector. He termed Main Line One Railway project as the backbone of the CPEC. Main Line-I railway project is the 1,872Km Karachi to Peshawar up-gradation and restoration project for the railway tracks. The Main line-I project would be the biggest restoration project since the inception of Pakistan until now; it is estimated to cost 9.2 billion dollars. China has agreed to finance the project under the CPEC framework, and the two countries are in the final round of negotiations. Recently, Ministry of Railway has sent summary for the of PC-1's approval to the Ministry of Planning Development & Reform. In the recent JCC meeting, ML-I project was also prioritised, and governments were determined to expand the railway network to regional countries after connecting the entire country.