Karachi Circular Railway
Encyclopedia
Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is a revival and proposed Mass Rapid Transit System for Karachi
, the largest city in Pakistan
with aims to connect several industrial and commercial districts within the city and outlying suburbs. The system will consist of a loop line, encircling the entire city of Karachi and is expected to carry around 700,00 passengers a day when completed. Due to a lack of money, current plans are to revive this transit plan somewhere around 2050.
with the aim of providing better transportation facilities to Karachi and the surrounding suburbs. The original KCR line extended from Drigh Road Station and ended at Karachi City Station carrying 6 million passengers annually. The KCR was in instant success and made a significant profit in its first year of operation. During the 1970s and 1980s the KCR was at its peak with 104 daily trains, of which 90 trains on ran on the main track while the remaining 14 ran on the loop line. During the 1990s, the "transport mafia" contracted KCR staff who became indulged in corruption. By 1994 the KCR was in incurring major losses and as a result the vast majority of trains were discontinued with only a few running on the Loop. In 1999 KCR operations were discontinued. The result was instant gridlock on Karachi streets. In 2005, revival plans for the railway were initiated to fulfil the growing transportation needs of Karachi. The City District Government Karachi was already making plans for a revival and construction of a combined "Karachi Metro".
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Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, the largest city in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
with aims to connect several industrial and commercial districts within the city and outlying suburbs. The system will consist of a loop line, encircling the entire city of Karachi and is expected to carry around 700,00 passengers a day when completed. Due to a lack of money, current plans are to revive this transit plan somewhere around 2050.
History
The Karachi Circular Railway began operation in 1969 through Pakistan RailwaysPakistan Railways
This article is about the rail company in Pakistan. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan.Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan, head-quartered in Lahore. It is administered by the federal government under the Ministry of Railways....
with the aim of providing better transportation facilities to Karachi and the surrounding suburbs. The original KCR line extended from Drigh Road Station and ended at Karachi City Station carrying 6 million passengers annually. The KCR was in instant success and made a significant profit in its first year of operation. During the 1970s and 1980s the KCR was at its peak with 104 daily trains, of which 90 trains on ran on the main track while the remaining 14 ran on the loop line. During the 1990s, the "transport mafia" contracted KCR staff who became indulged in corruption. By 1994 the KCR was in incurring major losses and as a result the vast majority of trains were discontinued with only a few running on the Loop. In 1999 KCR operations were discontinued. The result was instant gridlock on Karachi streets. In 2005, revival plans for the railway were initiated to fulfil the growing transportation needs of Karachi. The City District Government Karachi was already making plans for a revival and construction of a combined "Karachi Metro".
Construction
No construction is currently taking place on this railway. There are speculations that Pakistan does not have enough money sustain existing railways, let alone build new ones. Pakistan has requested aid for Karachi metro from the USA and China but was refused. Current plans are to revive this transit plan somewhere around 2050.Criticism
The project has been criticised by many as, unlike Lahore, the project is not to be an underground metro and has not been placed on the same priority as the Lahore MetroLahore Metro
The Lahore Metro or Lahore Rapid Mass Transit System is a proposed rapid transit system for Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan. The system will consist of 4 operational lines, with construction beginning sometime in 2012. The Punjab Minister of Transport stated that the government had...
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See also.
- Karachi Cantt. StationKarachi Cantonment Railway StationKarachi Cantonment Railway Station is one of the principal railway stations in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It was earlier known as Frere Street Station. The construction of the station was started in 1896 and was completed in 1898 at a total cost of Rs. 80,000.-Train Services from Karachi Cantonment...
- Mass Rapid TransitMass Rapid TransitThe term Mass Rapid Transit may refer to Rapid transit.The name Mass Rapid Transit is used by the following specific rapid transit systems, either as an official name or otherwise:* Mass Rapid Transit system in Singapore...
- Pakistan RailwaysPakistan RailwaysThis article is about the rail company in Pakistan. For technical details and operations see: Transport in Pakistan.Pakistan Railways is a national state-owned rail transport service of Pakistan, head-quartered in Lahore. It is administered by the federal government under the Ministry of Railways....
- Karachi Tramway
- Transport in PakistanTransport in PakistanTransportation in Pakistan is extensive and varied but still in its developing stages and serving a population of over 170 million people. Construction of new airports, roads, and railway lines have led to an employment boost in the country. Much of Pakistan's road network and railway network...
- Mumbai MetroMumbai MetroThe Mumbai Metro is a rapid transit system being built in Mumbai, India's largest city. The system is designed to reduce the rapidly-growing city's congestion problems, and will be built in three phases over a 15-year period, with overall completion expected in 2021...
- Delhi MetroDelhi MetroDelhi Metro is a rapid transit system serving Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida and Ghaziabad in the National Capital Region of India. It is one of the largest metro networks in the world. The network consists of six lines with a total length of with 142 stations of which 35 are underground...
- Kolkata MetroKolkata MetroThe Kolkata Metro or Calcutta Metro is a mass rapid transit system serving the city of Kolkata and the districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas in Indian state of West Bengal. The network consists of one operational line and five lines currently under construction...
- Chennai MetroChennai MetroThe Chennai Metro is a rapid transit system in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The Phase I of the project consisting of two corridors is under construction. The elevated section of the project is scheduled to be operational by 2013 and the entire project is scheduled to be completed by the financial...
- Namma Metro
- Hyderabad Metro
External links.
- Karachi Circular Railway System Approved by Federal Government September 4, 2009 : Article by Moid Ansari
- Karachi Circular Railway System to be revived by 2011 - APP
- KUTS come to exietence after its registration with SEC - APP
- Mass transit conundrum
- Revival of Karachi Circular Railway: ANALYSIS
- Pakistan Railway Discussion Group at Yahoo Pakistan Railway Discussion Group at Yahoo]
- A Web Site about KCR by Adnan Zafar
- KCR projected on Google Maps
- Master Plan Map of Karachi Circular Railway