ISLAMABAD: The feasibility study of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project is on track as per the timelines assigned by the ministry of railways, and will be completed by the middle of August, Railways Chairman and Secretary Habibur Rehman Gilani said on Monday.

He was speaking at a meeting which reviewed the present status of the preparation and processing of KCR. The meeting was informed that feasibility of the railways freight corridor project has been completed.

Keeping in view the importance of the KCR flagship initiative of the government, which should be a modern urban rail-based mass transit project, the meeting presided over by Planning and Development Minister Asad Umer, decided that a separate project be prepared for the civil structure of KCR for completing the project on a fast track basis.

The PC-1 for civil structures must be brought for approval and subsequent funding through the Public Sector Development Programme at the earliest.

Simultaneous work on both the components of KCR will result in months of time saving and completion of the project, the meeting observed.

During the meeting, important issues related to freight corridor were discussed and reviewed. Welcoming the completion of feasibility study of the freight corridor, the meeting decided that in order to gauge the level of investors’ interest, important decisions must be taken within a month by all the departments concerned.

Railways Minister Azam Khan Swati, secretaries of Planning and Railways, the Chief Executive Officer of the Public-Private Partnership Authority and senior officials of the two ministries attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2021