ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s envoy to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Thursday Pakistan and the UAE plan to collaborate and share expertise in the railway sector, adding that the Gulf state is already involved in the Main Line-1 (ML-1) project and that Islamabad is in contact with Etihad Rail in this connection.
The ML-1 project is Pakistan’s largest railway infrastructure upgrade involving the modernization and dual-tracking of the 1,872 km Karachi-Peshawar railway line, including signaling upgrades, bridges, stations and speed enhancements.
Together with ML-3, which links Quetta to Kotri via Jacobabad, the two railway lines are viewed as pivotal for regional connectivity by expanding freight capacity and shortening travel time.
The Pakistani envoy’s statement came as a delegation from his country, led by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kiyani, participated in the Global Rail Conference and Exhibition 2025, which started in Abu Dhabi on Sept. 30 and concluded on Oct. 2.
“This was a great opportunity for Pakistan to showcase its central position between Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East,” Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, told Arab News.
