• 996-km project will upgrade Rohri-Sibi-Quetta-Koh-i-Taftan rail line to support transportation from Reko Diq copper and gold project • Officials say upgraded corridor will boost mineral exports, strengthen regional connectivity with Iran and Turkiye, improve access to Gwadar Port ISLAMABAD: Owing to financial constraints, Pakistan Railways’ 996-kilometre Main Line-3 (ML-3) project covering the Rohri-Sibi-Quetta-Koh-i-Taftan section, estimated to cost about Rs280 billion, will be financed through a special $390 million (over Rs112bn) bridge loan from Reko Diq Mining Company (RDMC), repayable in a lump-sum (bullet) payment within two years. The financing arrangement, its foreign exchange exposure, and the project’s security costs — estimated at around Rs46.38bn, or nearly 17 per cent of the total cost — have come under scrutiny by the Planning Commission. The commission has also raised concerns over inadequate planning for post-completion security.