KARACHI, March 11: A Chinese delegation is scheduled to hold a meeting on Wednesday with the officials of City’s transport department and Pakistan Railways to review the past studies on Karachi Circular Railway. The delegation will examine prospects the KCR’s revival and feasibility.
The visit by the team of China Mechanical Corporation (CMC), a private firm, coincided with the visit to China by a Sindh government delegation, headed by Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui, on Feb 9 during which the revival of KCR and the railway system were discussed with various Chinese firms.
An official in the Karachi Mass Transit Programme told Dawn that the Chinese firm had shown interest in investing in the transport sector and circular railway. The delegation had raised certain questions after they had been provided with the copies of the past studies on KCR’s revival.
As the questions raised by Chinese firm related to the present status of the circular railway as well as the past studies and existing railway system in the country, the federal government has constituted a committee headed by Divisional Superintendent of Railways, Karachi Division. A deputy secretary of communication and railway ministry has also been named as the member of the committee. Besides, the provincial government has set up a committee headed by the Director General, Malik Zaheerul Islam, with the EDO Transport, Dr Tahir Soomro, and others as its members. Mr Islam has been appointed as convener of both the committees.
According to an official, the Chinese delegation has been provided with all the required information. “The delegation is interested in discussing economic situation in Pakistan with regard to foreign investment. It is also likely to discuss development projects which are in progress and also those completed recently,” he said.
Sources in transport department said that Mr Islam was currently in Madrid (Spain), where the underground railway system was being inaugurated. They said that he was on an official assignment to review the Spain-built system and see whether this system could work in Pakistan. In his absence, the EDO Transport, Dr Tahir Soomro, or Deputy Secretary of railway ministry would represent him as convener of the Pakistani side in the meeting with Chinese delegation.
Besides, the officials said 20 foreign and local companies had filed their expression of interest (EoI) invited by the city government for light rail, mono-rail and Maglev (magnetic train) on ‘build, operate and transfer’ (BOT) basis. The last date for filing the EoI has been extended to Mar 31.
The sources said although the fare of Maglev/Magno Train, inaugurated recently in China and running non-stop on a 34km-long track, was beyond the reach of common man. The fare for the entire 34km journey is equivalent to Rs2,200. Owing to this reason, Pakistan government is likely to reject the proposal of magnetic train. Instead, it is considering less expensive projects that could offer a bearable fare to commuters, according to the sources.
The Circular Railway project had been shelved after the refusal of Rs20 billion grant by the federal government some five months back. Before shelving it, a presentation on KCR project was forwarded to the president at a meeting in Karachi in September 2001. The federal government observed that it was unable to provide funds for the revival of the KCR.
Adil Siddiqui, after assuming his charge as provincial transport minister, attached importance to the revival of the project and visited China.
He had told newsmen at a press conference in the committee room of the Sindh Assembly before his departure to Beijing: “we want KCR to be revived after removal of flaws in the project as it is in the extreme interest of the people.”
A senior official in provincial transport department said the CMC had offered to the Sindh government that it would carry out a separate study on the KCR and prepare its feasibility with an estimated cost of US$3 million. He said the study would be carried out independently by a CMC representative and the local transport officials would provide them any assistance if they required.
