CPEC’s KCR to be built like Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore: Planning Minister

Karachi: Minister of Planning Development and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal, has said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)’s Karachi Circular railway (KCR) was another important mass transit project which would be executed on the same model as Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore.

“Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) project would be executed on the same model as Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore,” he remarked while chairing a preparatory meeting on joint working group on transport infrastructure which was attended by officials from CPEC Authority, the National Highway Authority (NHA), Gwadar Port Authority and senior officers from Ministry of Planning and Railways.

Former Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the groundbreaking for the long-awaited Karachi Circular Railway project last year in September.

The Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) earlier this year approved the new Karachi Circular Railway project. The new KCR is being built with an estimated cost of Pakistani Rs 220 billion on the basis of a public-private partnership.

KCR envisaged the construction of a 43km-long world-class affordable mass transit system using environment-friendly electric trains.

The project envisages the construction of flyovers and underpasses along the route of Karachi Circular Railway for the elimination of 22-level crossings. The project will facilitate the free movement of the KCR train.

Ahsan Iqbal also expressed his concerns over delay in the construction of the CPEC’s Main Line 1 (ML-1) project.

The project should have been started in 2018 but the delay has caused a huge financial loss on the national exchequer, he noted.

The Minister also directed to evaluate the cost of 250 kilometres per hour track for the future viability of the project. He asked Railway authorities to speed up processing of ML-1 project.