Karachi–Peshawar Line

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line (Urdu: کراچی–پشاور مرکزی ریل راستہ, romanized: karāčī-pešāvar markazī rēl rāsta) (also referred to as Main Line 1 or ML-1) is one of four main railway lines in Pakistan, operated and maintained by Pakistan Railways. The line starts from Kiamari station in the province of Sindh and ends at Peshawar Cantonment Station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The total length of the line is 1,687 kilometers (1,048 mi), with 173 railway stations from Kiamari to Peshawar Cantonment. The line serves as the country's main passenger and freight line. 75% of the country's cargo and passenger traffic uses the line. The line will undergo a six-year 6.8 billion USD upgrade and renovation as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, with the average speed expected to be doubled to 140 kilometers per hour upon completion.^[4] The railway track is dual between Keamari and Shahdara Bagh, Chaklala and Golra Sharif.

Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line کراچی–پشاور مرکزی ریل راستہ
PR rail network with Main Line 1 highlighted in black
Overview
Other name(s)	Main Line 1 ML-1[1]
Native name	کراچی–پشاور مرکزی ریل راستہ
Owner	Pakistan Railways
Termini	Kiamari Peshawar Cantonment
Stations	174
Service
Operator(s)	Pakistan Railways
Technical
Line length	1,872[2] km (1,163 mi)
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Operating speed	(Current) 30 km/h (19 mph) to 115 km/h (71 mph) (Proposed) 140 km/h (87 mph)[3]
Route map Legend km 0 Kiamari 5 Karachi City 9 Karachi Cantt Departure Yard 19 Drigh Road 21 Drigh Colony 24 Malir Colony 26 Malir Malir Cantonment 29 Landhi Junction Landhi—Korangi Branch Line 35 Jummah Goth 43 Bin Qasim 45 Badal Nala 48 Marshalling Yard Pipri 51 Gaddar 61 Dabheji stream 79 Ran Pethani 91 Jungshahi 108 Braudabad Keenjhar Lake 124 Jhimpir 143 Meting 164 Bholari 174 Kotri Junction Kotri–Attock Railway Line to Sehwan, Larkana Jn, Jacobabad Jn River Indus 183 Hyderabad Junction Hyderabad-Badin Branch Line 190 Detha Hyderabad-Khokhrapar Branch Line 205 Allahdino Sand 213 Palijani 221 Oderolal 228 Wahab Shah 237 Tando Adam Junction 246 Jalal Marri 256 Shahdadpur 270 Lundo 280 Sarhari 298 Nawabshah Junction 311 Bucheri 323 Daur 337 Bandhi 348 Kot Lalloo 358 Pad Idan Junction 371 Bhiria Road 384 Lakha Road 398 Mehrabpur Junction 411 Setharja 420 Ranipur Riyasat 427 Gambat Pir Katpar 442 Tando Mustikhan 456 Khairpur 467 Begmanji Nara Canal Rohri–Chaman Railway Line to Sukkur, Sibi, Quetta 481 Rohri Junction 489 Mando Dairo 501 Sangi 513 Pano Akil 525 Mahesar 539 Ghotki 550 Sarhad 564 Mirpur Mathelo 578 Daharki 596 Reti 614 Shaheed Haider Ali 624 Machi Goth Sindh Punjab provincial border 632 Sadikabad 643 Adam Sahaba 654 Rahim Yar Khan 666 Tarinda 675 Kot Samaba 685 Sahja 696 Khanpur Junction 706 Jetha Bhutta 718 Firoza 741 Liaquat Pur 760 Chanigot 771 Kulab 783 Dera Nawab Sahib 798 Mubarakpur 807 Kalanchwala 819 Samasata Junction Samasata-Amruka Branch Line to Hasilpur, Tamewali, Bahawalnagar Jn 831 Bahawalpur Empress Bridge over River Sutlej 838 Admwahan 0 847 Lodhran Junction Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line to Vehari,Mandi Burewala, Pakpattan km 11 858 Shah Nal Shahidanwala 857 25 872 Gilawala 36 883 Zarif Shaheed Rukanpur 863 48 895 Shujabad 56 903 Chak Dunyapur 878 Sher Shah–Kot Addu Branch Line to Muzaffargarh, Kot Addu Junction 72 919 Sher Shah Junction Kutabpur 889 78 925 Muzaffarabad 87 934 Multan Cantt Jahania 905 Multan City 98 945 Piran Ghaib Jangal Mariala 922 108 955 Tatipur 115 962 Riazabad Mehar Shah 929 120 967 Kot Abbas Shaheed 127 974 Shamkote via Lodhran–Khanewal railway line 938 136 983 Khanewal Junction km 942 Dera Taj 953 Rajput Nagar 959 Kacha Khuh 969 Mohsinwal 981 Mian Channun 999 Kassowal 1,015 Chichawatni 1,036 Harappa Mirdad Muafi 1,056 Sahiwal Nur Muhammad Mokal 1,066 Yousafwala Qadirabad 1,081 Okara Cantt 1,093 Okara 1,102 Kissan 1,110 Renala Khurd 1,126 Habibabad 1,133 Sehjowal 1,139 Pattoki Wan Adhan BS-Link Canal 1,152 Changa Manga 1,160 Bhoe Asal 1,168 Kot Radha Kishan 1,175 Prem Nagar 1,183 Raiwind Junction Lodhran–Raiwind Branch Line to Kasur Junction 1,192 Jia Bagga Hudiara Drain 1,201 Kana Kacha 1,208 Kot Lakhpat 1,212 Walton 1,218 Lahore Cantt Lahore–Wagah Branch Line 1,223 Lahore Junction 1,225 Badami Bagh 1,230 Shahdara Bagh Junction Shahdara Bagh–Sangla Hill Branch Line to Qila Sheikhupura Junction Shahdara Bagh–Chak Amru Branch Line to Narowal Junction 1,240 Kala Shah Kaku 1,249 Muridke 1,259 Sadhoke 1,269 Kamoke 1,278 Eminabad 1,280 Theri Sansi Upper Chenab Canal 1,290 Gujranwala City 1,291 Gujranwala 1,299 Gujranwala Cantt 1,306 Ghakkhar Mandi 1,315 Dhaunkal Khanewal–Wazirabad Branch Line Wazirabad–Narowal Branch Line 1,322 Wazirabad Junction River Chenab 1,325 Haripur Band 1,336 Gujrat 1,346 Deona Juliani Shorkot–Lalamusa railway line Sargodha Junction, Jhang 1,355 Lala Musa Junction 1,362 Chak Pirana 1,365 Kharian Cantt 1,371 Kharian 1,381 Choa Kariala Upper Jhelum Canal 1,365 Serai Alamgir River Jhelum 1,389 Jhelum 1,394 Kala Gujran 1,401 Kaluwal 1,407 Dina 1,413 Ratial 1,420 Domeli 1,426 Bakrala 1,431 Tarki 1,439 Sohawa 1,449 Missa Keswal 1,458 Gujar Khan 1,465 Ghungrila 1,472 Mandra Junction Mandra—Bhoun railway line to Chakwal 1,481 Kaliamawan 1,486 Mankiala 1,496 Sihala River Soan River Korang 1,507 Chaklala 1,512 Rawalpindi 1,515 Nur (Rawalpindi) 1,522 Madina-Tul-Hijjaj 1,527 Golra Sharif Junction Golra Sharif Railway Museum Golra Sharif–Kohat Cantt Section to Basal Junction, Jand Junction 1,537 Sangjani 1,544 Taxila Cantt Junction Taxila–Khunjerab Railway Line to Havelian 1,547 Wah Cantt 1,552 Budho 1,556 Wah 1,560 Hasan Abdal 1,570 Burhan 1,579 Faqirabad 1,587 Sanjwal 1,595 Attock City Junction Attock—Kotri Railway Line 1,605 Rumian 1,612 Attock Khurd Punjab Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial border River Indus 1,616 Khairabad Kund 1,624 Jahangira Road 1,630 Akora Khattak 1,638 Hayat Sher Pao Shaheed 1,643 Nowshera Junction Nowshera—Dargai branch Line to Risalpur, Mardan Jn, Takht-I-Bhai 1,650 Khushhal Kot 1,653 Pir Piai 1,664 Pabbi 1,669 Taru Jabba 1,674 Nasarpur 1,682 Peshawar City 1,687 Peshawar Cantt km

The present-day Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line was built as a patchwork of different railways during the British Raj during the 19th century. The present-day line consists of the following historic sections built between 1861 and 1900:

• Karachi–Kotri section, opened in 1861 (Kotri Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1899)
• Kotri–Rohri section, opened in 1900
• Rohri–Multan section, opened in 1879 (Empress Bridge (near Bahawalpur) over the Sutlej River, opened in 1878)
• Multan–Lahore section, opened in 1861
• Lahore–Peshawar section, opened in 1876 (Attock Bridge over the Indus River, opened in 1883)

The Scinde Railway was constructed in 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Karachi and Kotri.^[5][6] Work on the line had commenced in April 1858 and was the first railway line for public use in the region.^[7] Following the completion of the line, the Indus Steam Flotilla began docking in Kotri (instead of Karachi) from Multan.^[8] The Punjab Railway was constructed and inaugurated in late 1861 as a 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge railway line between Multan and Lahore, and later extended to Amritsar.^[5][6][9] Thus the travel time between Sindh and Punjab was greatly reduced together with the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla and Punjab Railways; what normally took 40 days to travel between Karachi and Lahore now took 48 hours to transport passengers and cargo.

In 1870, the Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway was formed from the incorporation of the Scinde Railway, Indus Steam Flotilla, Punjab Railway and Delhi Railway companies to increase the efficiency of passenger and cargo transport between Sindh and Punjab.^[10] However, the rail gap between Kotri and Multan was considered a hassle as the Indus River and Sutlej River were major obstacles to cross at the time. In 1871, the Indus Valley State Railway was inaugurated and construction began on extending the railway line from Multan south towards Bahawalpur (crossing the Sutlej River) and onwards to Rohri. In 1876, the Punjab Northern State Railway was constructed between Lahore and Peshawar and in 1883 the Attock Bridge over the Indus River was opened.^[11] In 1878, the Empress Bridge over the Sutlej River was opened and in 1879 the Indus Valley State Railway reached Rohri. From Rohri, a steam ferry would transport eight rail carriages at a time across the Indus between Rohri and Sukkur. This was found to be cumbersome and time-consuming. In 1889, the Lansdowne Bridge between Rohri and Sukkar was opened and in 1893, work on the Kotri Bridge commenced. It was only in 1900 that the section between Rohri and Kotri was completed.^[12][13][14] In 1885, all the companies were merged to form the North Western State Railway.

Since 2015 there has been a plan to expand and reconstruct the ML-1 main line, funded by Chinese loans, as part of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.^[15] The plan involves doubling the track from Karachi to Peshawar, providing grade separation, as well as communications-based train control.^[16]

The first phase is expected to cost of US$3.65 billion.^[17] In June 2016, China and Pakistan unveiled plans for the second phase of the project, with a total cost of US$8.2 billion for both phases of the project.^[18]

The first phase was expected to be completed by December 2017,^[19] with the second phase expected to be completed in 2021.^[18] The project has been delayed for years, with reports in January 2022 suggesting that there was no funding plan in place and China also reluctant to provide capital.^[20] As of 2023 the upgrade project has not been initiated.^[15]

Upgrading of the railway line will permit train travel at speeds of 160 kilometers per hour, versus the average 60 to 105  km per hour speed currently possible on existing track,^[21] and is expected to increase Pakistan Railways' annual revenues by approximately $480  million.^[22][23] The upgrades are also expected to cut transit times from Karachi to Peshawar by half.^[24] Pakistani railways currently account for 4% of freight traffic in the country, and upon completion of CPEC, Pakistani railways are expected to transport 20% of the country's freight traffic by 2025.^[25]

At the time of CPEC's announcement, the ML-1 dual track consisted between Karachi, and the Lahore suburb of Shahdara and between Golra Sharif and Chaklala, with long stretches of single track. Construction works to dualize the track between Lodhran to Shahdara were completed and inaugurated in January 2016.^[26] As part of the first phase of the CPEC railway project, the remaining stretch of track between Shahdara and Peshawar is to be upgraded to a dual track railway.^[27]

The first part of the expedited first phase of the project will focus on upgrading the Multan to Peshawar section, which will then be followed by the Hyderabad to Multan section, and finally by the Hyderabad to Karachi section.^[28]

The 676-kilometer portion between Lalamusa, north of Lahore, and Peshawar will require complete reconstruction with the addition of tunnels, culverts, and bridges, while over 900 kilometers south of Lalamusa towards Karachi will be upgraded to handle cars with a 25-ton axle load capacity.^[29] A spur from Taxila to Havelian will also be constructed, with a dry port to be established near the city of Havelian.^[30] Further, the entire length of track will have computerized signal systems, with stretches of track in urban areas to also be fenced off to prevent pedestrians and vehicles from crossing tracks in unauthorized areas.^[31] There will be fence of one side of track, so that humans and animals will not be able to cross the track.

In November 2022 the Pakistan and Chinese heads of state signed an agreement to begin work on the line with Chinese financing.^[15] The Financial Times has reported criticism that the loans are a poor choice economically, especially with the state being under financial strain; however, this has been countered that the upgrades are necessary with the risk of the railway system not functioning otherwise.^[15]

In June 2024, the upgrade work on the ML-1 will start together with the upgrade work for the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR).^[32]

The stations on this line are as follows: