Construction is halted due to a land dispute.
To meet the transportation needs of the low-income masses and lessen the air pollution that plagues the industrial centre, a citywide transit network is essential for a city the size of Karachi. The Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) and other public transport projects have not advanced much, nevertheless, because of ongoing land disputes between state agencies.
The Express Tribune was informed that Pakistan Railways had begun construction on flyovers and underpasses at several locations throughout the city in 2021 in order to remove the KCR gates, per the Supreme Court’s orders. It was intended to revitalise the Karachi Circular Railway in two stages. In the first phase, which cost Rs20 billion, 24 railway crossings were removed. In the second phase, the Circular Railway was revived, which included building double tracks, rebuilding stations and acquiring light rail. According to estimates, this phase would cost Rs200 billion in a public-private collaboration. Speaking under anonymity, a Pakistan Railways official stated that the entire project was expected to be finished in two years.
The official further disclosed that Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah had requested that Pakistan Railways promptly transfer all of the Karachi Circular Railway’s land and assets to the Sindh government, a request that was granted by caretaker Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in 2022. On the other hand, senior Pakistan Railways officials were dubious because they believed that the Sindh government had the necessary experience and expertise to build, maintain, and operate the railway system. Work on the KCR railway crossings was put on hold three years ago after the federal government dismissed Pakistan Railways’ concerns.
Along the Karachi Circular Railway’s 44-kilometer ring, elevated train tracks, flyovers, and underpasses were to be built at seven different locations, according to the concerned official. Seventy percent of the two underpasses at Gulshan-e-Iqbal 13D have been finished since construction began three years ago. Additionally, there were plans to build a 6.5-kilometer elevated rail track from Gulbai Phatak to West Wharf, a 3.5-kilometer elevated track from Musa Colony to Manghopir, and a railway overhead bridge at Hussainabad. A flyover at Ahmed Shah Bukhari, Machar Colony, and an underpass on University Road were also planned. All of this was regrettably impossible to accomplish.
Dr. Syed Nawaz Al-Huda, a regional planner, believed that if the Karachi Circular Railway project had been finished sooner, there would not have been as many traffic accidents that affect Karachi residents now. Since the Sindh government lacks expertise in building and running railways, Pakistan Railways should, in theory, continue to handle this project. “This project is still beset by red tape, even after the KCR was closed 36 years ago,” Dr. Al-Huda emphasised, pleading with the government to give it top attention.
The Karachi Circular Railway project has not yet been taken over by the Sindh government, Kamal Hakim Daio, Managing Director of the Sindh Mass Transit Authority (SMTA), responded to the criticism in an interview with The Express Tribune. “Pakistan Railways has not yet handed over the land and assets of the Circular Railway to the Sindh government since it is seeking land or compensation in exchange. The Sindh government is still in the process of negotiating for the land for the KCR project, which will cost 2 billion US dollars,” said Daio.
On the other hand, a spokesperson for Pakistan Railways assured that progress was being made on land-related matters in connection with the KCR project. “Details of the land of KCR have been shared by Pakistan Railways with the SMTA while discussions are also underway with the Board of Revenue, Sindh Management and Budgetary Reforms (SMBR) and the provincial government. No final decision has been made yet,” claimed the official.
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