KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Monday that the Sindh government was committed to providing Rs6 billion for development works to be carried out for full operation of the existing Karachi Circular Railway but vowed to launch a modern KCR for the people of the megalopolis.

This he said while presiding over a meeting of the KCR here at CM House. The meeting was attended by Transport Minister Awais Qadir Shah, LG Minister Syed Nasir Shah, Adviser on Law Murtaza Wahab, Advocate General Salman Talibuddin and others. Pakistan Railways chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani attended the event through video link.

The meeting was told that the rehabilitation of the existing track from Drigh Colony/Drigh Road to Karachi City station on the loop section had been started and so far it had 50 per cent physical progress. The rehabilitation of a 14km track, from City station to Orangi station, had been completed with two trains operating daily since Feb 10.

The KCR’s existing set-up is 44km long with a 30km loop and 14km main line.

The FWO has to start construction of three structures on the KCR route and an elevated 6.4km structure for Rs11.508bn against which the provincial government has to pay Rs6bn as its share.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2021