Published on, Sept. 1 -- September 1, 2025 4:10 PM

Pakistan Railways is set for a major revival as the government seeks a $2 billion investment from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to modernise the Karachi-to-Peshawar Main Line-1 (ML-1) route.

Years of underinvestment, safety issues, and stalled Chinese funding left the national railway system struggling. Freight revenue has collapsed, and outdated tracks and signaling systems have pushed passengers and cargo onto highways, raising logistics costs.

Officials said the ADB package will focus on three areas: upgrading ML-1 for faster travel, creating a dedicated freight corridor, and introducing digital monitoring to improve safety and operational efficiency.

If implemented successfully...