Pakistan Railways Plans $2.5 Billion Karachi-Rohri Line

Pakistan Railways will build a $2.5 billion railway track connecting Karachi and Rohri to increase safety and decrease accidents.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 23, 2026 · 2:28 PM 2 min read

Key takeaways

Pakistan Railways will build a 480-kilometre track between Karachi and Rohri costing $2.5 billion.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi announced the project during a National Assembly session on Thursday.

Civil work for the first phase is expected to start in January 2027.

The rail network recorded 349 train derailments between January 2022 and September 2026.

Islamabad reported seven confirmed dengue cases and no deaths between June and September 2026.

Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi informed the National Assembly on Thursday that Pakistan Railways will execute a $2.5 billion initiative to construct a new 480-kilometre railway line joining Karachi and Rohri. This undertaking forms the initial stage of the Main Line-1 project, designed to enhance safety and lower accident numbers.

Construction operations for this first phase should start in January 2027. Pakistan Railways is speeding up market talks, pre-bid preparations, and other steps to satisfy the schedule established by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The routes between Karachi and Rohri and between Rohri and Multan rank among the highest risk areas on the rail system. Older tracks cause derailments and demand expensive, regular maintenance. Because of this, Pakistan Railways chose the Karachi-Rohri stretch for the starting phase of the Main Line-1 project.

Abbasi stated that the rail network registered 349 train derailments from January 2022 through September 2026. Bad tracks were the primary reason. Personnel mistakes caused 95 derailments, and 64 resulted from rolling stock flaws. Probes into 331 accidents finished, whereas 120 investigations stayed open.

National Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal stated in a written response that Islamabad documented seven confirmed dengue cases from June to September 2026, with zero fatalities. Officials filed 214 first information reports regarding breaches of anti-dengue standard operating procedures. Workers performed preventive actions against mosquito larvae at over 1.293 million locations.

Parliament also heard that a countrywide plan to fight HIV was formulated for 2026-2031. An initiative delivering free screening, diagnosis, and treatment for qualified individuals aged 12 and older continues actively to wipe out hepatitis C.

Throughout the meeting, the National Assembly approved the Life Insurance Nationalisation (Amendment) Bill 2026. Members also presented the Privatisation Commission (Amendment) Bill 2026 and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 to the chamber.

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