20 April 2009:
President Asif Ali Zardari approved Karachi Circular Railway plan.
This project was approved at a high-level meeting held on 20 April 2009 at
the Bilawal House chaired by President Asif Ali Zardari. He said the federal
government will provide sovereign guarantee for the Karachi Mass Transit project,
which will be built under a BOO scheme. International competitive bids will
be invited soon. This plan would be launched immediately. Mustafa Kamal said
the Karachi Circular Railway is being revived with a cost of $ 1.6 billion
with international assistance. The president desired that the plan must be
implemented without further delay and a resettlement plan be immediately
prepared for the rehabilitation of the people settled on the way of KCR.
22 September 2008:
Revival of Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) still needs approval of the Executive
Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) even though the Central
Development Working Party (CDWP) has already approved it.
Well-placed sources in the federal government told on Monday that the
CDWP had forwarded the KCR revival plan to the Ecnec.
Physical work on the project could only be started after its approval
by the Ecnec, they said, adding that the item was yet to be placed on the
Ecnec agenda.
18 September 2008:
The Central Development Working Party (CDWP), which met here with Deputy
Chairman of Planning Commission Salman Faruqi in the chair, approved revival
of the Karachi Circular Railway project.
The KCR project is expected to be executed in three years at a cost
of Rs52.372 billion with a foreign component of Rs 39.257 billion.
The 50 km railway project will have 21 underpasses and overhead bridges
and 23 stations in the city. The Circular Railway would carry 700,000 passengers
daily through 246 trains.
4 December 2006:
A high level meeting chaired
by Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad on Monday
approved in principle the revival of Karachi Circular Railway.
According to estimates, the project will cost around one
billion dollars, which includes Japanese loan of $872 million. The
feasibility of the project will be presented by the JETRO and work
will start after its approval by the ECNEC and the Planning Commission.
The meeting was attended by Federal Railway Minister Shaikh
Rasheed Ahmed, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Railway Chairman, Karachi
Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Principal Secretary Mohammed Saleem Khan,
D.S. Railway Mir Mohammed Khaskheli and other officials.
The governor urged the authorities to finalise all phases
expeditiously and said implementation of the project must start by
the beginning of new year and there should be no further delay now.
3 April 2006:
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal said that first phase
of Karachi Circular Railway under the Karachi Mass Transit Programme
(KMTP) will be completed by 2010 whereas the work on second phase
will start soon. He stated this while talking to a delegation
of a German company, Voith Turbos, which manufactures locomotives
and train spare parts. The delegation, which arrived here earlier
in the day, comprised Dr Ing Manfred Lerch, Holger Costari and Hansjorg
Kopp. Naib Nazim Nasreen Jalil, DCO Fazlur Rehman, Mohammed Ali and
Taha Khan were also present at the meeting which was held in the nazim
office. Mr Kamal briefed the delegation about the ongoing projects and
details of KMTP. The company is interested in the rail project under
the Karachi Mass Transit Programme (KMTP) and offers transfer of technology
for the manufacturing of these items locally. .
20 December 2005:
A ten-member Japanese team has completed its study
for the revival of Karachi Circular Railway and presented its
draft report to the government. Addressing a news conference after
a meeting with the Japanese team in Karachi today, the Minister of
state for Railways Ishaq Khan Khakwani said the Japanese team has proposed
two stage work on the project at a cost of eight hundred and thirty million
dollars. In the first phase costing two hundred and eighty two million
dollars, the project from City Station to Liaquatabad will be completed
by 2010. The second stage costing five hundred and forty eight million
dollars form Liaquatabad to Drigh Road will be ready by 2020. .
7 November 2005:
The Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab
Ghulam Rahim, here on Saturday approved to set up a corporation
for running the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR). According to details,
State Minister for Railways Ishaque Khan Khakwani held a meeting
with the Sindh chief minister at the CM?s House to discuss matters related
to the administration and operation of the KCR. ’s It decided that
a corporation, named Karachi Urban Transport Corporation be formed
in this regard. It decided that representatives of the federal, provincial
and the city governments would be selected as members of this corporation.
The company would be set up under the Companies Ordinance 1984 and
the federal government would have a 60 per cent stake in it. The remaining
40 per cent ownership would be of the Sindh government. .
31 October 2005:
Japanese experts have completed
the initial study pertaining to the revival of the Karachi Circular
Railway. This was announced by the city district government in
a statement issued on Monday. In a meeting, Japanese delegation apprised
City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal of the details of the initial report. Mustafa
Kamal asked the delegation that the project pertaining to revival of
the Karachi Circular Railway be given the final shape keeping in view
the prevailing situation of traffic. .
27 September
2005:
A team of Japanese technical experts
has arrived here to conduct a survey of the Karachi Circular Railway
for preparing a feasibility report. The team has been dispatched
by the Japan External Trade Organization, which is a Japanese government
related organization. It is supposed to start the study of the
KCR project in a few days and complete the same the end of January
next year. .
13 September 2005:
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad
Khan asked the authorities to expedite progress on the
revival of the Karachi Circular Railway. He also issued
directives for the removal of encroachments around the railway
tracks and their rehabilitation. He was presiding over a meeting
in the Governor’s House, attended among other by State Minister
for Railway Ishaq Khakwani..
29
May 2005:
Pakistan Railways extended
the KCR route from Wazir Mansion to Landhi and Malir Cantt.
7 April 2005:
Governor Sindh
Ishratul Ibad visit KCR track by train from City
to Gilani station with State Minister for Railways Mr. Khakwani
and other officials. Governor said that sindh government
is trying to provide funds for KCR and soon government
will issue bonds of 3.5 billions rupees for arrange funds for
KCR. KCR second phase will complete in 3 months and trains
shall start to run from City to Galani Station. .
8 March
2005:
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Tuesday
formally inaugurated the Karachi Circular Railway and
said that a similar mass transit project like the one
in Karachi would be started in Lahore. Addressing at the
inaugural ceremony, he said that Rs 3.5 billion would be spent
for the complete renovation of the circular railway. Sindh
Governor Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Arbab Rahim, federal
and provincial ministers, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan and
others were present at the ceremony.
Shaukat Aziz said that Karachi
was a metropolis with severe traffic problems and the
government wanted to provide cost-effective transport
facilities to the masses, therefore, the project for the
renovation of the circular railway had been started. He
said that the previous governments had neglected the railways
department but the present government was paying full attention
to it.
In the first phase of
the KCR, trains will be run from City Station to Drigh
Road Railway Junction after which the whole track in
the city would be renovated and the project would be completed
in a short span of time. The KCR's revamping, rehabilitation
and integration with road transport and Karachi Mass
Transit corridors would be done in the first phase.
The second phase includes dualization
of KCR loop, extension of KCR to unserved location
and electrification infrastructure for train operation.
He said the dream had come true as it was just a little over
four months when a task force was constituted for the revival
of KCR. It had proposed a time table of 18 months to revive the
KCR but the government could not wait that long. "Today, my government
is fulfilling the long cherished demand of citizens of Karachi,"
he saidadding that the revival of KCR was his
passion as he used to travel by this when he was a student.
Shaukat Aziz said that the
government might induct a private operator to operate
KCR while the government would provide enabling environment
for its operation. After inauguration of the circular
railway, the prime minister travelled in the train from
City Station to Cantonment Railway Station. Federal ministers
and several notables of Karachi also accompanied him in the
journey.
Farooq, Ibad praised: The prime
minister also appreciated Sindh Governor Ishratul
Ibad and MQM MNA Farooq Sattar for their keen interest
in Karachi Circular Railway's revitalization project. He said
that they both worked hard to push ahead the project towards
finalization.
INCONVENIENCE: Prime
Minister Shaukat Aziz said here Tuesday that he wanted
Karachiites to face minimum inconvenience due to traffic
jam caused by his movement. Speaking as chief guest at the
restart of Karachi Circular Railway, he said both he and
President Musharraf fully realize the problem people faced.
2 March 2005:
The much-awaited operation of the
local train, a part of the Karachi Circular Railway
(KCR), is likely to be inaugurated on March 8. Divisional
Superintendent of Pakistan Railways, Karachi , Junaid Qureishi
told Dawn on Tuesday that the preparations for the operation
had been completed and a demonstration would be held on
March 4.
"Its formal inauguration
will be held on Tuesday (March 8) with the launching of
five up and five down trains. The fare has been fixed
at Rs7." He said that a private company had been awarded
contract for managing the ticketing system. Initially,
the train service would shuttle between Landhi/Malir and the
City Station, and in the next phase it would cover other city
areas, he added.
Sources in the railway and provincial
government identified the private company as M/s Mass
Transit (Pvt) Limited, saying that its bid of Rs3.6 million
per annum, with 10 trains running between the two points,
had won it the contract. Each train, comprising
six coaches, would have a seating plus standing capacity of 140
passengers. The fare, fixed at Rs7, would be for any distance
between the starting point and the last destination,
they added.
The sources said that the
railway, in coordination with the transport departments
of the Sindh government and CDGK, had started removing encroachment
from many parts in the city along the loop of the KCR.
"We faced resistance at some
isolated spots, but it's not a major issue. We will remove
all the encroachment along the KCR loop as work on it
is in progress," said an official. The
sources said that KCR tracks had been encroached upon with
a mala fide intention by builders' mafia who always eyed the
prized land of the railway and wanted the KCR project to
be scrapped so that they could construct high-rises on the
precious land.
26
Febuary 2005:
Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad
has said that the Karachi Circular Railway would be
made functional from the next week saying that the
facility would be revived on modern lines. He stated this while
talking to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce
and Industry (FPCCI) delegation led by Ch. Muhammad
Saeed which called on him at Governor's House on Saturday.
The governor said, "Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz is
scheduled to visit here on March 6th or 7th to re-launch Karachi
Circular Railways. After making the existing circular system
operational, we would go for its upgradation and modernization
including conversion into double track system," he
added. He said that implementation on a coordinated
programme for improving transportation
facilities in Karachi and smooth flow of vehicular
traffic was also underway. He informed the delegation that
six corridors would be built in the city under Karachi Mass
Transit Programme and substantial progress had been made
on construction of first corridor from Sohrab Goth to Tower on
Built, Operate and Transfer (BOT) basis.
16 January
2005:
State Minister for Railways,
Mr. Khakwani said that 21 coaches to constitute three
rakes of the Karachi Circular Railway service were under
the process of refurbishment at Mughalpura Workshop,
Lahore. The coaches are, at present, being painted and would hopefully
be inducted by February 15, or even earlier. The inauguration,
however, depends on the preoccupation of the prime minister,
he added. According to the minister, in the first phase,
the KCR service would be operated between the City Station
and Landhi Stations. On this sector, 10 up and down
trains would be operated to carry 10,000 passengers every
day.
In the second phase, he said,
the KCR would connect Baldia, Orangi and Nazimabad
with the KCR system. The minister said that the Railway
had invited expression of interest (EOI) from out side
parties which would facilitate travel between the two points.
He said that the Railway had received very good response from
four parties which were in touch with the DS Railway for working
out terms and conditions of a contract and finalize the same
by January.
3
Jauary 2005:
KARACHI: Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz on Monday reviewed the status of the multi-million
dollars Karachi Mass Transit Project at a high-level
meeting held at the Governor's House here on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Sindh
Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, Chief Minister Dr Arbab
Ghulam Rahim, Senior (Finance) Minister Syed Sardar
Ahmed, Planning Minister Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari, Transport Minister
Adil Siddiqi, Adviser to the CM on Local Government Waseem
Akhtar, MNA Dr Farooq Sattar, Deputy Chairman of the Planning
Commission Dr Akram Shaikh and DG Mass Transit Malik Zahirul
Islam.
The meeting was informed that
an MoU had already been signed by the city government
with a foreign company for the construction of the Corridor-I
of the Mass Transit programme on BOT basis.
The prime minister said
that possibilities be explored for extending the scheme
to include the construction of corridors II to VI for
a cost-effective mode of mass transit, that should be
affordable for commuters, also on BOT basis.
He pointed out that since the project
involved a huge investment to be made partly by the
executing firm, it could not take off without the federal
assistance. Mr Aziz told the meeting that the government keenly
desired provision of a fast mode of transport to the people
of Karachi.
Besides the mass transit scheme,
he said, the government had already decided to revive
the Karachi Circular Railway and the initial preparations
for its immediate revival were being made by the Railways in
collaboration with the provincial government. "Both the
federal and Sindh governments are in total agreement over
the revival of this project,'' he said.
It may be mentioned here that initially,
the Karachi Mass Transit Project was initiated by the
city government which has also signed an MoU without taking
the federal and provincial governments into confidence.
No company can undertake
the project without a sovereign guarantee to be provided
by the federal government. Since the KMTP is a public
welfare project, the federal and provincial governments
came out with help and assistance to move the project ahead.
23
December 2004:
State Minister for Railways,
Ishaq Khakwani said on Thursday 'that an independent
body, Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC),
would soon be established to run and completely revive the
Karachi Circular Railway project.
Initially we will operate
this service from City Station to Malir with five trains
and we will rehabilitate the route of KCR by removing
encroachments on the tracks.
He maintained that around
Rs 3.5 billion were required for complete revival of
the circular railway and the KUTC would generate this huge
amount by floating Municipal Bonds.
Regarding the formation of
KUTC, Ishaq Khakwani said that the organization would
have full legal cover that the legislation in this regard
would be done by the provincial assembly or through an
ordinance.
The minister said that the
KUTC would be responsible for Mass Transit Services in
the city and its project would cover light train, tramway
and integrated road network. "The corporation will make such
projects, which will reduce pollution.
17
December 2004:
President Pervez Musharraf
pointed out that Karachi Circular Railway, and
the Mass Transit Program would help improve the traffic
conditions in the city. He said matters pertaining to the Mass
Transit Program were being examined further.
The President said that two
choices were available with regard to this project and a
decision to this end would be made in the interest of
Karachi. The one option is the combination of sub-way and
the rail or an overhead mono-rail run through a magnetic system
with the latest technology.
8
December 2004:
Sindh Transport Minister Adil Siddiqui
said that KCR start of its operation in January 2005.
He also said that from January 2005, the KCR operation
would start from Drigh Road to City Station in the first
phase and from Orangi Town to SITE and Baldia in the second phase
for which all preparations had been finalized. He said that
KCR project would be completed in 12 to 18 months at a cost
of Rs 3.5 billion.
6
December 2004:
A report of task force for revival
of Karachi Circular Railway was presented to Prime Minister
Shaukat Aziz at a meeting in Islamabad today. It was
decided that Karachi Circular Railways will revival from
january 2005 and would be operated by an independent corporation
jointly owned by Pakistan Railways, Sindh Government and the
city government of Karachi. Corporation will talk to banks
for loan. Prime Minister also ordered to repair track and coaches.
20
November 2004:
Task force of revival Karachi
Circular Railway prepare report that Karachi
Circular Railway could not revival
from january 2005 due to bad infrastructure and most
of railway crossings of KCR are on busy roads
and it is difficult to run KCR trains with railway
crossings. But task force advise to Government that work should
start from january 2005 and railway crossings should replace
with fly over and under passes. Work will complete in 18 months
with cost of 6 billions rupees (6 arab rupees).
16 November 2004
The government has started
removing encroachments from the tracks of the Karachi
Circular Railway after the decision of the task force
to revive the KCR operation by 15 January, sources of the
government said here on Tuesday. The Sindh government
had prepared an action plan for reviving the KCR service
by January. The plan would be submitted at a meeting
in Islamabad on Friday
10
November 2004:
The Sindh Governor, Ishratul
Ibad, on Wednesday said all-out efforts were being
made for the early revival of the Karachi circular railway,
and issues in this regard are being resolved expeditiously.
28
October 2004:
A meeting held
Presiding under State Minister for Railways Ishaq Khakwani
at Divisional Headquarters Karachi to
review the work of the Task Force set up by the prime minister
for revival of the Karachi Circular Railway on Thursday
decided to revive the KCR by January, 2005.
After meting minister
had a trolley inspection of the KCR tracks and other
infrastructure facilities, including station buildings
etc. He went from the City Station to the Gillani Railway
Station in Gulshan-i-Iqbal.
22
October 2004:
Prime Minister Saukat
Aziz attend a high level meeting with MNA`s
,City Nazim Karachi Naimatullah Khan, Minister Railways
Ishaq Khakwani, and Advisors of Sindh Government
in Islamabad on 22 October 2004. It is decide that Karachi
Circular Railway will revival quickly and preset infrastructure
will use. A task force also prepare for revival Karachi Circular
Railway. Karachi Mass Transit also discuss in meting.
9
October 2004: Prime
Minister Saukat Aziz attend a meeting in governor
house with Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad,
Chief Minister Arbab Gulam Rahim and other
officials. Prime Minister said to work fast for implement
Karachi Mass Transit and Sindh Government attend a
meeting with Railway Minister for revival Karachi
Circular Railway.
24
September 2004
Governor Sindh Ishrat-ul-Ebad
force to revival Karachi Circular Railway operations
to safe assets and land of Karachi Circular
Railway.
22
September 2004 Karachi City Government
is busy in finalize agreement about Karachi Mass Transit
system Sarab Goth to Tin Hatti
from China machinery and equipment group and work will
start in December 2004.
20 August 2004:
President Pervez Musharraf has said
that the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) must be reactivated
apart from the Karachi Mass Transit Program in view
of the growing traffic problem in Karachi.
He directed the Sindh government
and CDGK to coordinate with the Planning Commission
for assessment of the cost and other related issues concerning
the KCR.
11
August 2004:
President Pervez Musharraf
attend a high level meeting with Minister for Railways
Ghous Bukhsh Maher and other PR officials. Finance
Minister Shaukat Aziz also attend meeting. Minister for
Railways Ghous Bukhsh Maher briefed the president on various improvement
and expansion plans of the railways. He also briefed the
president on plans for resumption of Karachi Circular
Railways.
16
June 2004: Sindh government reserved
funds 60 millions rupees (60 core rupees) for Karachi
Mass Transit plan.
15
May 2004:
City government of Karachi and China
Machinery and Equipment Group sign an agreement. According
plan Sarab Goth to Tin Hatti 8 km over head and Tin
Hati to Tower 7.2 km under ground double track will build
with 14 stations. Plan complete with total cost of 33 billion
in 4 years. Chines Company will invest 90 percent of total
cost. In next stage work will start in Cantt to Orangi town
plan.
26
April 2004:
Federal minister of railways Mr.
Ghous bux Khan Mehar said in opening ceremony
of fast freight train at cantt station Karachi that funds
will be reserve for Karachi Circular Railway.
24
March 2004:
The Saudi Engineering Group International
sign memorandum of understanding with the City District
Government Karachi revival of a tramway service
in the city at a cost of US $ 200 million. CDGK will enter
into an agreement with the Saudi Group on a public transport
facility project on built operate and transfer basis for
a period of 30 years on a possible route option from Saddar to
Burns Road. Saudi Group would provide 100 per cent financing
and technical support, including transfer of technology/system
to CDGK.
4
March 2004:
Federal minister of railways
Mr. Ghous bux Khan Mehar said in opening
ceremony of new reservation office in cantt station
Karachi that work will start on Karachi Circular Railway in
June 2004 first work will do on strength of system and second
extension of network . He also said that Sindh Government and
City Government also try to success Mass Transit program.