Prime Minister Imran Khan performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the enormous Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) today (27 September) which was held at the Cantonment Railway Station in the metropolis.
Asad Umar, the Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, Azam Khan Swati, the Chief Minister of Sindh Murad Ali Shah, and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail were among those in attendance.
While addressing the groundbreaking ceremony, Imran Khan said that he hopes Sindh will stay committed to the project and will cooperate with the federal government. He said “Despite political differences, we will have to move along for the sake of our country and Sindh. All this is interconnected. The federal government cannot do some things alone, while the Sindh government cannot do some things alone without the center’s support.”
He said that every country across the world has one city that leads its prosperity and growth and for Pakistan, it is Karachi.
The PM stated that a country’s transportation system is critical to its development and that KCR is an important step toward that goal. In addition, he said “The second biggest problem in Karachi is the shortage of water. K-4 project will help resolve this issue.”
Bundle Island Project
Imran Khan also urged Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to reconsider the Bundle Island Project, claiming that it will benefit the state. He said that this project “will bring profit, jobs and alleviate pressure from Karachi.”
The circular railway is not only being rehabilitated but also expanded and upgraded, in accordance with the federal government’s aim. The KCR’s 30 stations will connect residential, industrial, and office regions. The project is expected to take three years and cost Rs207 billion to complete.
The KCR track will be built without crossings, allowing trains to travel at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour. The trains will be able to transport nearly half a million people per day.
Karachi known as the “City of Lights” due to its economy, has been deprived of fundamental civic amenities such as clean drinking water, roads, transportation, municipal government, infrastructure, vocational training, and other business-friendly services.
Karachi’s public transportation system, which has been on the point of collapse, has been in the spotlight. The city’s transportation system has become unsustainable because of tremendous population growth and urban migration.
Imran Khan said “This plan is not just important for Karachi, but also for Pakistan. Karachi is a city which can rake in investment from across the world but for that, basic infrastructure is required.”
GreenLine buses
The first consignment of 40 buses for the Green Line bus rapid transit system (BRTS) has also arrived in Karachi as part of the Karachi Transformation Plan (KTP) announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Federal Minister Asad Umar also addressed the groundbreaking of KCR, and he told everyone that the first batch of busses have arrived. He also added that the rainwater harvesting project is very important for Karachi and his work is underway on it.
