Senate Standing Committee on Pakistan Railways was told that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project will start this month and will be completed in 2017. The cost of the project will be Rs 128.6 billion.
This was told in a meeting of standing committee held under chairmanship of Senator Moulna Gul Naseeb. While other members Abdul Rashid, Professor Muhammad Ibrahim, Abdul Ghaffar Qurishi. Railways DS Nazar Hussain Rizivi, Secretary Railway attended the meeting.
Railways DS told committee that PR is going to revive KCR with the support of Japan government. It was said that old rails will be revived and net of new rails will be installed across the city.
He told that the rail project will start this month and will be completed in 2017. He said that 941 acres of railways land was illegally occupied in the city of Karachi. It has been decided that this occupied land of the railways will be vacated. This process has been started in the city. Those who will get affected in this operation will be compensated with plots in the Bin Qasim area where 270 acres land has been obtained for the purpose. Every family will be given a house and Rs 50,000 cash as they can shift from railways land to there.
DS railway in his presentation said that route length 43.12 km dual tracks (elevated 22.86 km, tunnel 3.93km, ground 16.33km) with 24 stations at average distance of 1.5 km. Trains will operate at six-minute headway interval with 1,391 passengers per day.
Electronic traction infrastructure with modernised signalling, telecommunication system, regenerative braking system, provision of segmental fare level compactable with bus fares (minimum Rs 15 to maximum Rs 22.50 will be the features of KCR.
At the stations, the facilities will be ensured of computerised ticketing, automated gates, elevators, vending machines, utility kiosks, bookshops, food cafes, parking area and connectivity to roads while additional boarding faculties for elderly and special persons.
