Recently, a survey team braved the scorching sun in Sindh province and walked along the railway tracks from Karachi to Roheri to measure. Pakistan's Railway Minister Abbasi announced that this railway line, which carries the economic lifeline of the north and south of the country, has officially entered the field survey stage of upgrading and renovation. The track of the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor is rolling from the blueprint to the ground.

ADB's $2 billion loan in place

On April 4, 2026, the Asian Development Bank approved a special loan of $2 billion to inject key funds into the upgrade of the Karachi Roheri railway. The project is expected to start construction in July 2026, with a duration of two and a half to three years. The track foundation will be comprehensively reinforced, modern equipment will be installed for signal and communication systems, and bridges along the line will be repaired synchronously. After the renovation, the maximum speed of the train will be increased from the current low-speed state to 160 kilometers per hour.

The port is directly connected to the inland industrial hinterland

The railway starts from Karachi, the largest foreign trade port in Pakistan, in the south, connects with Rohri in the north, and extends to old industrial towns such as Lahore and Multan. After the upgrade, there will be a qualitative leap in freight efficiency and reliability. Port goods can arrive at inland factories faster, and the cost of two-way flow of raw materials and finished products will be significantly reduced. The acceleration of this steel artery directly boosts Pakistan's overall logistics competitiveness. Keywords: the Belt and Road News Network, China Pakistan Economic Corridor Upgrade

Corridor construction and installation of high-speed engines

This upgrade is embedded within the framework of the second phase of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor. The modernization of railways not only reduces domestic logistics costs in Pakistan, but also doubles the efficiency of transporting Chinese goods in the Pakistani market. Chinese tourists traveling to Karachi for economic and trade cooperation will also enjoy faster and safer passenger transportation services. When the speed on the railway tracks skyrocketed from double digits to triple digits, the China Pakistan Economic Corridor itself was also equipped with speed gears.Editor/Gao Xue