KARACHI, Sept 16: Sindh Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui has said that the Sindh government has given approval to the feasibility of the Karachi Circular Railway revival plan and the same would be submitted to the federal government within a week.In a statement issued here on Saturday, he said that the federal government would seek soft loan from the Japanese government after studying the feasibility. He said the government was taking concrete measures towards revival of the whole project.

He said that the Sindh government had reviewed technical aspects of this project at every level and some apprehensions and objections coming to fore in this regard were being removed.

It may be recalled that the Japanese entity, JICA, had offered $827 million for the project and the Japanese government would provide a loan to be payable in 30 years, with grace period of another 10 years, at 0.4 per cent interest rate.

The project would be completed in three phases and under it the KCR network would be extended to Surjani, North Karachi, Airport, Gizri, Defence, Port Qasim and other areas. In the first phase, the KCR would be operated between City Station and Nazimabad and in the second phase between Nazimabad and Drigh Road. In the final phase, its network would be extended to airport and other areas.

The whole KCR system would be computerised and a separate track would be laid between City Station and Drigh Road. All railway lines, signals and stations at commercial centres would be developed on modern lines.

Following completion of this project, the KCR would provide millions of commuters of this international city with an alternate, efficient and fast public transport system and enable Karachi to join the club of modern urban mega cities of the world.

KCR had been introduced in 1969 and more than 100 train services were being offered to commuters when it was being operated at its full capacity. However, the government wound up the project in 1999 citing heavy losses.

In 2004, the government decided to revive KCR considering the immense hardship being faced by commuters due to the absence of this vital organ of public transport. Initially, a local train service between Landhi and Wazir Mansion was revived in 2005, but the work on the revival of any other service could not be started for unknown reasons.

The service covers 20 stations and a maximum distance of 55 kms.—PPI