KARACHI, May 20: Notwithstanding the rosy statements and spree of feasibility studies done by foreign experts, the revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is in the doldrums.

Last week, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said on the floor of the National Assembly that revalidation of a feasibility study was being done by the Pakistan Railways through international consultant, who would submit their report within two months. He said that the City District Government Karachi and the Punjab government were conducting feasibility studies for the introduction of Metro Train Service in Karachi and Lahore, respectively.

A feasibility study for the KCR revival had also been done by the Japan External Trade Organisation. It started the study in October 2005 and submitted the report in March 2006. The study puts the cost at $872 million and, it is learnt, some Japanese firms and banks are keen to offer the required loans. Recently, the newly appointed representative of the Japan Bank of International Cooperation in Pakistan called on Sindh Chief Secretary Shakeel Durrani and offered the financial assistance.

It may be recalled that in 2004, President Pervez Musharraf had ordered revival of the KCR in two years. Work on the project was started and on March 8, 2005, it was partially revived and a service between Landhi and Wazir Mansion resumed. It was expected that the service would soon be extended to Nazimabad and Gulshan-Iqbal in the next phase but it never happened apparently due to intervention by vested interests.For the people in Karachi, it is really intriguing that the revival of an existing system is hitting delays of years. All the required facilities and infrastructure are available and all that is needed is the will to make it functional. People cannot afford waiting for decades for an urban rail system of European standards and they are content with the available rail system with essential facilities.

The Pakistan Railways is capable of running fast trains between Karachi and Peshawar and is certainly financially and technically sound enough to operate the KCR without help or assistance of foreign experts and their feasibility studies.

Moreover, it could also arrange funding through the government from financial institutions and private sector.

Revival of the KCR has already been supported by the experts associated with Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Higher Education Commission and Standing Committee on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in a report titled “Technology-based industrial vision and strategy for Pakistan’s socio-economic development.”

The KCR would not only help reduce traffic congestion in the city but also provide an alternative means of transport in the event of strikes, heavy rains or such other problems.—PPI