Baqar, Chinese authorities agree on removing bottlenecks for early launch of KCR

Sindh Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) Vice President Li Samaa in their meeting at the CRCC International Headquarters in China have agreed to remove the only two remaining bottlenecks to launch the much-awaited Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of The Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation being held in Beijing. Justice (retd) Baqar said that in a review meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects held on February 9, 2023, Chinese authorities said they required a fresh feasibility based on Chinese standards for the KCR project.

The Sindh transport department completed the KCR feasibility study in collaboration with the CRCC with a revised cost of $2.002 billion. The CRCC vice president said that the results of a joint survey conducted by the Sindh government in collaboration with the CRCC had been submitted to the Chinese authorities. He pointed out that only two issues were left to be resolved before starting the project.

The CRCC vice chairman urged the Sindh CM to settle the issues of the right of way (ROW) and sovereign guarantee to be issued by the Pakistani government for the project. To this, the CM said that his government and the Ministry of Railways of Pakistan had discussed the ROW issues and the agreement between the two would be signed shortly to resolve the problem.

He added that his government through the federal government of Pakistan would approach the Chinese authorities to speed up the construction of the KCR project. Justice (retd) Baqar said an updated feasibility study had also been submitted to the China Railway Authority through the Planning Commission.

According to the updated study, the KCR's circular route spans approximately 43 kilometres (27 miles) intricately connecting Karachi's diverse landscape, including industrial zones, residential neighbourhoods and bustling commercial districts.

It weaves through pivotal locations such as Karachi City Station, Landhi, Malir, Drigh Road and Orangi. This well-structured route can play a pivotal role in reducing traffic congestion and combating air pollution by offering a reliable alternative to road transportation. Out of its 24 stations, 11 would be at grade and 13 elevated. Its ridership would be 650,000 passengers per day.