KCR to be restored partially by January-2021

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Railways on Monday announced to partially restore Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) in January next year, ARY News reported.

According to Pakistan Railways, the Karachi Circular Railway project will be completed in three phases. The length of the KCR project was 43.13km, including 14.95km on the ground and 28.18km elevated. It would have 24 stations and its per-day ridership would be around 550,000.

The railway officials said that in the first phase, the KCR line from Karachi City Station to Orangi Town would become operational and 32 trains will operate on the track. Its per-day ridership would be around 16,000, while the restoration of the first phase will cost Rs1.25 billion.

The second phase of KCR will cost Rs 8.70 billion, whereas, the third phase would be completed under a public-private partnership.

Read More: ‘Encroachments on some portions of KCR track due to be cleared’

It may be noted that FWO will construct underpasses and flyovers on KCR tracks, whereas, the security wall on all the routes will be constructed by the provincial transport department. It is noteworthy to mention here that the Sindh government had allocated Rs5 billion funds for the construction of the underpasses and flyovers.

In a major development on Saturday, the federal and Sindh governments agreed to run local trains on a 12-kilometer track in Karachi on a trial basis in the next two months.

The understanding came during a meeting between Sindh Chief Minister Sindh Murad Ali Shah and Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar in Karachi.