ML-1 railway: Pakistan, China decide to execute $10bn project

[SoulSpokesman]

@KaiserX

domestic made in pakistan steel,

Rail steel is somewhat special, not something extraordinary but still different. I dont think Pak makes that grade of steel.

Regards

 

[MH.Yang]

10bn for this project? What is the interest rate? ROI? Expected revenue. Sadly I doubt this will be a profitable project. 10bn would be far better spent on building kalbalgh dam, building universities, hospitals. But 10bn to upgrade a rail line?

I mean for that much you could build a bullet train from islamabad to karachi connecting lahore, faisalabad, multan, hyderabad on the way. Would literally pay for itself within a few years.

Is there no domestic pakistani company capable of upgrading a rail line weve used since last 75 years for far far less? How abt these generals who own so many contracting companies? Could they not do the job for say 2bn?

This deal wreaks of corruption

The cost of high-speed railway in China is 150 million CNY (about 20 million US dollars) per kilometer on average. However, the cost varies greatly from terrain to terrain. And the quotation of foreign projects will be higher. The cost of bullet trains is 172 million CNY (24 million US dollars) on average.

 

[araz]

View attachment 890005

• JCC decides to undertake business-to-business deals under CPEC.
• Pakistan assures of taking initiatives for security of Chinese.
• Both sides agree to expand cooperation in information technology.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China on Thursday agreed to execute the Mainline-1 (ML-1) railway project at an estimated cost of $10 billion, The News reported.

The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) also decided to undertake business-to-business deals under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Pakistan will also request for the rollover of deposits and rescheduling of its $27 billion debt.

During the meeting, Pakistan assured China of taking several initiatives for the security of Chinese working under CPEC projects. Both sides have agreed to expand their cooperation in information technology and it was decided that Chinese companies will establish research centres in Pakistan to explore new avenues in this sector.

Pakistan and China held the 11th JCC meeting virtually but both sides could not sign the minutes of the meeting. It was expected that the minutes of the meeting will be signed during the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif who, along with a high-powered delegation, will be visiting China from November 1, 2022.

The CPEC meeting was held in Islamabad with both sides expressing satisfaction over the ongoing projects under CPEC while several other projects were proposed. The meeting was co-chaired by Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal, and Vice Chairman National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC), China, Lin Nianxiu.

Under the leadership of PM Shehbaz, CPEC has emerged as the topmost national priority, said the minister, in his welcome address. The meeting was also informed that another 3,100 MW, which has achieved 90% milestone for FC (700 MW Azad Pattan HPP, 1,124 MW Kohala Hydel Project and 1,320 MW Thar Coal Block-I), will be finalised at the earliest so as to get closer to the envisaged target of 1,7000 MWs.

The projects in motorways and highways of around 888km were also highlighted to be constructed with both Chinese and local financing (another 853km under construction through local financing). The KKH-Thakot-Havelian, one of the flagship projects of this sector, has received international recognition.

Similarly, another priority project, the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) was discussed in length, which will benefit a large segment of the population of Karachi. Both sides have also agreed to start the ML-1 project for the construction of the Karachi to Peshawar rail line link, which was considered to be the backbone of CPEC and remained neglected in the past. It was agreed to include a new area of “Water Resource Management and Climate Change” which will have great importance, especially after the recent floods which badly affected Pakistan.

Similarly, both sides agreed to explore new avenues in the mining sector and it was decided to set up a new working group to explore the sector. The Government of Pakistan has also launched an initiative to include 10,000 MWs of solar energy in the system. Pakistan requested China to create a financing window or a credit line for Chinese companies participating in this project.

Cooperation in the agriculture sector was also discussed in the meeting. The Pakistan government has made a number of new proposals, on which agreements are expected to be completed shortly which include post-disaster reconstruction, global development initiatives, strengthening of digital investment in the economy, 1+5 arrangements for SEZs, an agreement between geological survey institutions of the two countries and cooperation to develop the export potential of Pakistan.

Similarly, the framework agreement on single-window cooperation in inland trade was also proposed. Pakistan also proposed a mechanism for a new area of water resources management and climate change in the CPEC framework, considering the enhanced vulnerability of Pakistan to climate events.

Iqbal highlighted three basic objectives in the meeting which include the revival of CPEC, the inclusion of new projects to increase CPEC’s portfolio and the third was business to business cooperation, which was earlier based on government-to-government.

ML-1 railway: Pakistan, China decide to execute $10bn project

JCC decides to undertake business-to-business deals under CPEC.Pakistan assures of taking initiatives for security of Chinese.Both sides agree to expand cooperation in information technology.ISLAMABAD:...

www.geo.tv

Ithought the total value was 6 billion. Have we been given a teeka of 4 billion?

 

[SoulSpokesman]

@araz sb,

Ithought the total value was 6 billion. Have we been given a teeka of 4 billion?

In the subcontinent, a little bit of lubrication is also required.

Regards

 

[AZ1]

@araz sb,

Ithought the total value was 6 billion. Have we been given a teeka of 4 billion?

In the subcontinent, a little bit of lubrication is also required.

Regards

its not little bit,
dnt focus only on 4 but billions also

 

[PDF]

Why is the top speed curbed at 160Km/hr when it will be crossings free and 10 billion pumped to it? It should be way higher.

 

[Horse_Rider]

There was no Pakistan 150 years back. All the railways then were constructed by Indians in India.

We are not "Indians" as in the genetic strain that link South India / Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We are Indians as being a part of the sub-continent. Like North America has US and Canada both. South America has over dozen countries, etc.

150 years ago, the term "India" wasn't to a Hindu majority country like it is today. It was reference to a geographical name of independent states and regions that had population from various ancient civilizations. Majority of Pakistan / Kashmir / Afghanistan came under the "Indus Valley" civilization. We have historical well designed cities preserved in Taxila that were found and were decimated due to floods and earth quakes.

On topic, this is a VERY critical project essentially completing freight / logistics loop linking the entire Pakistan to Karachi and Gawader and to China. Same rail link will link Russia and Central Russian estates with it also, bring in tremendous trade and freight related revenue.

Why is the top speed curbed at 160Km/hr when it will be crossings free and 10 billion pumped to it? It should be way higher.

Phase I is 160KM. That's due to our national infrastructure related issues on crossings, etc. Phase II of this project's upgrade in next 8-10 years might take it to 200 Km. If there is significant growth around the new cities that are going to be built next around CPEC systems and there is enough trade with the Central Russian / China, etc, a future high speed rail could be extended on a secondary line. China is deploying high speed rail network all the way to Pak-China border.

In about 5 more years when all portions of CPEC baseline program are done, it would create tremendous growth potential for Pakistan generating billions annually in revenues.

Ithought the total value was 6 billion. Have we been given a teeka of 4 billion?

It was never $ 6B, it's $ 10B. It would've been $ 14 B but a lot of Pakistani labor and jobs were added to create job boom in the country in KPK / Baluchistan and some in Sindh. So the cost came down. Over 100 Pakistani construction, logistics and freight related companies are involved in this, creating lots of local jobs in the future.