ACCORDING to a government announcement, the revival plan for the Karachi Circular Railway has been linked with CPEC. This is a good sign but a period of about one year has elapsed and so far no tangible progress is visible.

The outright demolition of the railway crossing bridge in Nazimabad No. 4 creates suspicion regarding the KCR’s fate. This bridge could have been saved and utilised with slight technical modifications for aligning the metro bus route.

The encroachments alongside the 45-km railway track are undoubtedly a stumbling block in the way. How is the government grappling with this problem? For the last many decades people have been hearing hollow and stereotype statements from the government about the KCR plan, but the matter remains where it was. It seems that this important public transport issue has been abandoned.

Built in about 1963-64 in the Ayub era at a huge cost of about over Rs5 billion at that time, it was the pride of Karachi after the ex-tramway system, and provided an efficient and fast railway service between the two major industrial zones i.e. Landhi / Korangi and S.I.T.E Area.

The goods trains used to operate from the SITE railway station carrying export consignments from factories to Karachi Port and upcountry.

Despite a degree of despondency, the citizens of Karachi are still optimistic and yearn to see light at the end of tunnel. It is hoped that the new provincial and federal governments will devise a new strategy to take up this plan afresh and revive the KCR’s project. The PTI has specifically included this programme in its manifesto.

Zeeshan Ahmed

Karachi

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2018