Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Railway has been using delay tactics on transferring land aligning to Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) besides other immovable assets to government of Sindh, officials of Sindh Mass Transit and Transport Department (SMTTD) have revealed.

It has already been decided in principle that Sindh government would take over the control for running KCR system in Karachi.

The Prime Minister during the meeting of Council of Common Interest had declared that KCR project would be considered an integral part of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Sindh government would handle the entire system of KCR.

A committee for implementation of KCR project has been constituted in this regard with Director General, SMTTD, senior Chief Transport and Communication Sindh government, Commissioner Karachi, Director Infrastructure Sindh Mass Transit Cell, TMTD, Shahnawaz Nadir, Chief Investment Specialist and project consultant NESPAK.

The committee has already written a letter W-1/2006-KMT/KCR, May 25, 2017 for implementation of KCR project, to Chief Executive Officer/Senior General Manager, to P R headquarters office Lahore regarding the said subject.

The feasibility study report of KCR along with PC-1 has already been provided to Divisional Superintendent, PR Karachi, Project Director Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC), officials informed.

In the letter it is requested to convene a meeting of the committee for taking up and finalising the issues and tasks as defined in the term of reference of the said committee.

NESPAK had appointed consultants for revival of KCR project and for finalizing PC-II. This project had been approved on March 17, 2017 by Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) Islamabad.

NESPAK has been tasked to complete the project cost and allocation of funds for 2018 by June 2018. This exercise would cost Rs 41.500 million, it is informed.

Total cost for revival of KCR comes around $2.583 billion (Rs 276 billion) and Sindh government would bear Rs 18.029 billion while CPEC would bear Rs.258.352 billion. This financial proposal would be submitted to ECNEC for approval and by June 2020 KCR project would supposed to be completed. SMTTD has allocated Rs 2.5 million for 2017-18.

Construction of boundary fencing along the existing alignment of the KCR has also to be approved with an estimated cost of Rs 241 million.

Process of acquisition of 300 acres of land for the settlement of affected persons is underway.

Satellite imagery of KCR route has been completed by SUPARCO on October 2009 and a memorandum has also been inked with Karachi-Electric for uninterrupted supply of power for the project operation.

In accordance with the decisions of ECNEC policy guidelines for availability of resources under federal / Sindh government have already been approved.

Environmental Impact Assessment study has been carried out and report approved on August 4, 2009 by Environmental Protection Agency, Sindh.

Resettlement action plan study of the persons which is likely to be affected by the KCR project has been completed and furnished to JIVA, Tokyo Japan on October 2, 2010.

Third party revalidation of final report prepared by SAPROF for design and cost escalation has been carried out by Louis Berger USA with local consultants as directed by ECNEC.

Route length of KCR is 43.12 kilometers (km) (elevated 22.86 km, underground 3.93 km at grade 16.33 km), dualization of KCR loop (29.32 km), with 14 at grade stations, 11 elevated stations and 2 stations in tunnels.

Three overhead railway bridges including one on Nazimabad Board Office would be constructed.

Circular trains with a speed of 100 kilometers (average 40 km) will be operated at 6 minutes frequency with the passengers carrying capacity on per train would stand at 1,391 and 0.698 million per day.

Dedicated power house by private sector Independent Power Producer on Private Public Partnership basis will supply 150 megawatts to run entire KCR with electric traction infrastructure and modernized signaling and telecommunication system. Provision of segmental fare level compatible to bus fare and stations will be provided with computerized ticketing, automated ticket gates, vending machines and elevators.

According to PC-I, on Stage-1, KCR loop Karachi City to NIPA (22.4km),

stage-II KCR loop, NIPA to Karachi City section and along mainline through Liaquatabad to Karachi City station (PIDC house station-20.7 km and on stage-III Airport-link Drigh Road-Jinnah Airport (6.1km) running has been designed.

Qamar Qureshi, President Economic Forum Pakistan was of the view on the subject that PR should honour its commitments for the sake of commuters of Karachi as this project on its completion would be a real remedy for transport stricken people of city.

Published in Daily Times, June 24th, 2017.