CDWP accords approval to 13 projects worth PKR 36.18 billion

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has approved as many as 13 projects worth PKR 36.18 billion on June 6.

The CDWP meeting held in Islamabad was chaired by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Mohammad Jehnzeb Khan, according to the statement of the Federal Ministry of Planning and Development. 

The Secretary Planning, Zafar Hasan, and other senior officials from the Planning Commission and federal ministries/divisions also participated in the meeting which approved and recommended ML-1 project to ECNEC for further action.  

The Mainline-1 (ML-1) happens to be one of the major projects of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) having multiple outstanding features. 

Upon the completion of ML-1, the speed of passenger trains would increase from 65/110 km/h to 160 km/h while the Speed of the freight trains will increase upto 120 km/h. The line capacity will increase from 34 to 137/171 trains each way per day and the freight trains trailing load will be increased from 2,400 to 3,400 tons. 

The establishment of a dry port near Havelian Railway Station and upgradation of the Pakistan Railway/Academy Walton in Lahore were also included in the ML-1. 

The ML-1 will start from Karachi and passes through Kotari, Hyderabad, Rohri, Multan, Lahore and Rawalpindi before terminating at Peshawar. The meeting also recommended four projects worth PKR 184 billion to ECNEC for consideration.