Islamabad: Pakistan Railways (PR) will sign a USD 500 million agreement with a private Omani investment to construct a rail track between Gwadar and Jacobabad, news sources reported. The total estimated cost of the project is PKR 1.2 trillion.
It was further reported that the PR, in collaboration with a private firm and Railcorp, carried out the project’s feasibility study. The final approval, however, will be given by the government of Pakistan. It was reported that Oman-based Anvwar Asia Investment Company Chairman Dr Anvwar Al Balushi is currently visiting Islamabad and will finalise the agreement. The project is part of the government’s plan to upgrade the country’s existing railway infrastructure to support freight services that are expected to increase in volume after the completion of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
It should be noted that the government is already working on several rail connectivity projects with China under CPEC. This includes Main-Line-1 (ML-1), which links Karachi to Peshawar; ML-2 connects Kotri (Azad Kashmir) to Attock, and ML-3 connects Rohri to Taftan (Pakistan-Iran Border). These projects are being undertaken under the public-private partnership (3P) model to meet the country’s rising demand for a robust and sustainable goods transportation infrastructure.
Nauman Ahmad is an imaginative Pisces whose love for literature and nature is unparalleled. When he's not reading or hiking, he's sleeping and eating, which gives him plenty of energy for his next adventure.
