CPEC’s investment share for Pakistan Railways was $8.2 billion, which was to be utilised for upgrading Main Line-1 (ML-1) a colonial-era line stretching 1,872 km from Karachi to Peshawar.
Rasheed announced that he is going to start a standard gauge track in between Karachi and Peshawar junctions. The existing track is a
broad-gauge track and is due to be rehabilitated and upgraded under the CPEC.
1. The Broad Gauge Track is 5 ft 6 in i.e. 1676 mm
2. The Standard Gauge Track is 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in i.e. 1,435 mm
This means that the Standard Gauge Section of Pakistan Railways will have to be provided with a Brand New Track as well as Locomotives, Passenger Coaches and Railway Wagons as the following Railway Stock will not be able to be used :
PAKISTAN RAILWAYS YEAR BOOK 2017-2017
PLANT & EQUIPMENT Unit.===2016-2017
Route - Kilometres Kms.=====07,791
Track - Kilometres Kms.=====11,881
Locomotives. Nos.=========00,455
Coaching Vehicles No.======01,466
Other Coaching Vehicles No==00,270
Freight Wagons===========16.086
As such Pakistan - having such a large number of Locomotives, Carriages and Wagons will have to buy a Full New Rail Stock for the Standard Gauge Section of its Railways.
In addition a further Standard Gauge Track will be built from Peshawar to the Southernmost Railway Terminal in Xinjiang.