Revival of KCR operations a reality: DS

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Divisional Superintendent, Karachi, of the Pakistan Railways, Arshad Salam Khattak, has stated that, as per the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the restoration of the Karachi Circular Railways (KCR) remained on top of their priorities.

The DS, in an interview of July 15, shared that the final outlook of the restored KCR project would be state of the art metro on the pattern modern MRT. 

The federal government has allocated Rs. 1.8 billion for the mass transit project in the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the FY 2020-21 and the track work has been initiated by PR itself, while tenders have been floated for rehabilitation of stations falling in the project, which will be opened on July 23. 

"There is no issue of encroachments now as all the illegal settlements have been demolished and the provincial government is in full liaison with Pakistan Railways in all the matters pertaining to revival of KCR,” the DS responded when inquired about anti-encroachment operation. 

While explaining the phase-wise revival of KCR, he said that initially during the first phase a trial-base operation would be started from City to Orangi within a period of next three months and two trains per hour would carry the commuters to their destined places. 

However, during the second phase the entire track would be made functional by dualization, upgradation and improving signaling system. "High class real estate development in the restored KCR project would give it a state-of-art look" he added. 

Commenting upon the current outlook of various station in the route, he said that tender for rehabilitation of stations had already been floated and very soon all the stations would give a neat and clear appearance. 

"Though the KCR will be restored soon but for a city like Karachi with population greater than many countries, multiple metro-type projects are required in order to facilitate the 20 million citizens of the metropolis,” the DS opined.