Minister for Railways, Azam Khan Swati has said that the restoration of the Karachi Circular Railway is the top priority of the government.
He expressed these views while meeting the Commander of Frontier Works Organization in Karachi in which they discussed the construction of civil infrastructure en-route to Karachi Circular Railway track from Orangi to Drigh Road.
During the meeting, an agreement was made upon the restoration of 16 Kilometers of the Orangi-Drigh Road Track.
The Minister for Railways inspected the rehabilitation work at Groyne Yard and reviewed the progress on the KPT connectivity project.
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CEO Pakistan Railway, Nasir Memon, AGM Infrastructure Asif Mateen Zaidi, DS Karachi, and Project Director Karachi Circular Railway Ameer Muhammad Daudpota also participated in the meeting.
These projects, after conclusion, would enhance port facilities, curtail container traffic from the city and significantly scale up the freight earnings of the department.
Azam Khan Swati said the projects, after completion, would enhance port facilities, curtail container traffic from the city and significantly scale up the freight earnings of the department.
The Minister also visited Port Qasim where he was given a detailed presentation on port operations and enhanced revenue generation.
The minister stated that CPEC-based projects had put the country in a progressive phase where railways had the most important role as no other department could act as its substitute.
The Karachi Circular Railway revival project includes the transformation of the old Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) into a mass transit system. The total length of the railway line is expected to be 50km and will cost about $1.58bn.
Opened in 1964, the route of the old KCR started from Drigh Road and ended in Karachi. The railway ceased operations in 1999 after it suffered huge losses. In 2005, however, revival plans for the railway were initiated to fulfill the growing transportation needs of Karachi.
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Karachi is one of the biggest cities in the world, and its huge projected population growth generates the need for an efficient mass transportation system.