An opinion piece argues that planning a massive $62 billion rail corridor makes little sense given the dire state of Pakistan Railways (PR).
Currently, PR reportedly runs at an annual deficit of roughly Rs 55 billion, with a large portion of its infrastructure—bridges, sleepers, tracks—being decades old, dilapidated, or unusable. Many lines see frequent suspensions because the system can no longer meet basic operational needs.
Meanwhile, the proposed corridor — largely based on the upgrade of the main line connecting Karachi to Peshawar (ML-1 rail project) — remains in planning, with feasibility and funding still unsettled despite earlier commitments under China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
The author concludes that before launching ambitious mega-projects, Pakistan needs to demonstrate capacity for maintenance and consistent execution — otherwise adding new projects risks compounding existing inefficiencies.