Green signal for Karachi Circular Railway

[Omar1984]

Bilour directs early completion of Karachi Circular Railway

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour Friday directed Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the concerned ministry officials to expedite work on Karachi Circular Railway project.

In a meeting with a six-member JICA delegation of technical experts headed by Ken Kato, the railways minister said delay in project has raised serious concerns among the public facing acute transport problems.

The Japanese delegation expressed satisfaction over performance of the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation that has completed maximum of the task assigned to it regarding the circular railway project.

The delegation informed the minister that a team of technical experts would reach Pakistan in June this year to survey design of the project that would also comprise its geo-technical investigation.

Ken Kato apprised the minister that following the appraisal mission project; Japan would hold detailed discussion on the provision of loan facility and ascertain the time period for the purpose.

The railways minister assured Japanese delegation of all possible cooperation in execution of the multi-billion project. staff report


Source: Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Omar1984]

Japanese company offers soft loan for KCR


KARACHI: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has offered a soft loan along with technical cooperation for the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR).

JICA team leader Minoru Shibuya stated this while presenting Karachi Transport Improvement Project report to the Technical Committee, Karachi Mass Transit Cell (KMTC) at Civic Centre, here on Saturday. JICA had started a survey with regard to Karachi Transport Improvement Project in April 2010.

The JICA team leader said that underground mass rapid transit system would take 10 years to be completed while the project’s cost would also be increased in this span.

Shibuya said: “Presently the population of Karachi is 18.9 million, which is likely to surge to 31.6 million by the year 2035. This will be close to the population of Tokyo, and the constant increase in population will increase problems in commuting.”

He laid emphasis on the removal of encroachments on roadsides to improve the flow of traffic in the city.

Director General KMTC Rasheed Mughal told the meeting that the World Bank, with the cooperation of Japan, Government of Pakistan and Sindh government, initiated Urban Transport Master Plan 2030.

Representatives of Defence Housing Authority, Pakistan Railways, Port Qasim Authority, Traffic police, Finance Department Sindh, Transport Department Sindh and other concerned officials were also present on the occasion. staff report


Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Omar1984]

KCR resettlement plan finalised

KARACHI, Aug 6: A resettlement plan for the people to be affected by the revival of the Karachi Circular Railway project has been approved by donors and its implementation will begin in the next few months, said the chief of the Karachi Urban Transport Corporation (KUTC) on Saturday.

The KUTC chief, Ijaz Khilji, said that the Pakistan Railways had agreed to provide approximately 300 acres near Jumma goth (near Cattle Colony and Shah Latif Town) where over 4,650 families currently residing on the KCR route would be relocated.

Each family would be given an 80-square-yard plot and Rs50,000.

He said that the Sindh government had also asked the federal government for the waiver of 8.2 per cent charges on principal and interest amount and hopefully it would formally be approved soon.

Sources said that the federal government charged 15 per cent — 6.8 per cent exchange risk coverage and 8.2 per cent service charges and interest — on foreign loans obtained by the provinces or other stakeholders.

Mr Khilji said that the total cost of the KCR project was roughly over $1.6 billion — equivalent to around Rs128 billion.

The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing over 93.5 per cent ($1.5 billion) while the remaining 6.5 per cent (roughly $101 million) is to be provided by the Sindh and the city governments.

The foreign component of the long-term soft loan, provided at a mark up of 0.2 per cent, is to be returned in 40 years, including initial 10 years as grace period.

He said that in the next few months different JICA teams were scheduled to visit the country to prepare detailed designs, plans of the route and sign agreements just before the start of the Japanese financial year that begins in March so that the funds could be released and the implementation of the project started in the second quarter of 2012. After the work on the project started it would be completed in three years.

He said that under the project 44-kilometre-long dedicated dual track would be laid and it would have 24 stations.

He said that while the system was designed for 100 kilometres per hour speed, electric trains would be operating at an approximate speed of roughly 40 kilometres per hour thus completing the entire circular railway loop in around an hour.

He said that out of its route over 22 kilometres would be elevated and four kilometres would be in tunnels, while the remaining around 16 kilometres would be on road surface.

He said that the railway tracks on the entire route would be fenced and all the level crossings, numbering more than 20, would be removed as the tracks would be passing either at an elevation or tunnels, etc.

He said that the system would require 120 megawatts.

The KUTC chief said that each train would have six cars and could transport roughly 1,400 passengers.

Time gap between two trains would be six minutes and would be operating between 6am and midnight.

Roughly 700,000 passengers would be traveling daily through this system, though it could handle around two million commuters. Fare would be compatible with the road transport fares and at current rates it would begin from approximately Rs15 and Rs0.50 per additional kilometre with the maximum fare for the entire loop would be around Rs25.

He said that the KUTC was incorporated in May 2008 as a public limited company in the Securities and Exchange Commission (not listed) with the railways having 60 per cent, the Sindh government 25 per cent and the city government 15 per cent shares for the implementation of the project.

The railways constructed the Karachi Circular railways and it started its operations in 1964 and it reached its peak performance in 1984 when over 104 trains — 24 on the KCR loop and 80 on the main line — were operated carrying over six million passengers annually.

Owing to a lack of investment in infrastructure, rolling stock, etc, operational efficiency of the KCR was marginalised causing increased running time, lesser number of trains which resulted in reduction of passengers and eventually it was closed down for traffic in 1999.

With the city`s population increasing rapidly and in the absence of a public mass transit system, the problems of commuters have increased and the government finally realised hardships faced by the people and decided in 2004 to revive the KCR.

More than half a decade later the project is finally approaching the implementation stage, as the work is to start in the second quarter of the next year.



KCR resettlement plan finalised | Metropolitan | DAWN.COM

 

[Omar1984]

Tokyo may extend 90pc funding of $1.5bn

TOKYO: The Japanese government may extend 90 percent funding of $1.5 billion Karachi Circular Railway project as a part of the Mass Rapid Transit System, an official said on Tuesday.

“The two governments are in the process of negotiations with each other over the project and Japan may extend the funding for the project,” an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan told The News on the condition of anonymity.

“The project is quite good as it will connect several industrial and commercial districts within the city. This is why the authorities in Japan are seriously considering this project for funding.”

Japan may also provide funding to make National Power Control Cell (NPCC) a modernised entity, he said.

Besides, it may help install latest equipment and also ensure the use of fibre optics that will exactly tell about the load of the electricity in any part of the country, he said, adding that a telecom system will be installed at NPCC, which will be based on computers and modern equipment. “This will help reduce the transmission losses across the country.”

Tokyo had already provided funding of 67 billion yen for 1,209 kilometre-long Indus Highway from Peshawar to Karachi.

“Likewise, it has also provided a loan of 12.6 billion yen for constructing 1.9 kilometres-long Kohat Tunnel.”

In addition, Japan has also provided funding and grant for the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa emergency rural roads rehabilitation project, technical cooperation for trade policy adviser, the project for the improvement of water supply in Abbotabad, the project for strengthening of DAE Mechanical and Architecture Departments in GCT Railway Road, project for the development of Centre of Excellence for Technical Education, national transmission lines and grid stations strengthening project and strategic strengthening of flood warning and management capacity of Pakistan.

Moreover, Japan has also helped in executing the landmark project of repair of Taunsa Barrage and building of 1,450MW Ghazi Barotha hydropower project.



Tokyo may extend 90pc funding of $1.5bn

 

[TOPGUN]

Do we have any pic's of what the project will look like ?

 

[Omar1984]

Do we have any pic's of what the project will look like ?

This is the only picture I can find on this project:

 

[Omar1984]

KCR project cost increases to Rs 135 billion


* Karachi Mass Transit plan has 87km of network

* It will cover six priority corridors of high travel demand

By Sajid Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: The delay in execution of Karachi Circular Rail project, a key part of Karachi Mass Transit, has escalated the project cost from Rs 128 billion to Rs 135 billion, a senior Planning Commission official informed Daily Times on Wednesday.

At the time of the estimated cost of the project, Pak-Rupee and US Dollar parity was Rs 80 per dollar and it has increased to Rs 86 a dollar resulting in increase in project cost from Rs 128 billion to Rs 135 billion, explained the official.

According to a brief of the project, available to this scribe, Karachi Mass Transit study was conducted with the technical assistance and financial assistance of World Bank in 1990. It had recommended 87 kilometres transit network comprising six priority corridors of high travel demand. These six priority corridors were approved and notified by the government in 1995. First priority corridor was from Sohrab Goth to Tower having distance of 15.2 kilometres (km), second Orangi Town to Cantonment Station having length of 12 km, third, North Karachi, Nazimabad and branches to Banaras Chowk, Liaquatabad, Manghopir Road Bridge, near site office partly along KCR 15.4 km, fourth, Karachi Cantonment to Landhi 20.5 km, fifth, Nagan Chorangi to Korangi via Rashid Minhas Road and over Shah Faisal Colony across narrow width of Malir River 14.5 km and sixth, Baldia Township to Tower along RCD Highway and KCR right of way.

The sources said that progress on the project has gone through various stages of technical and financial options but so far not able to take-off mainly due to non-fulfilment of commitments from Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) bidders funding with City District Government Karachi.

Karachi Circular Rail project which is a component of Karachi Mass Transit Project has been approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on September 3, 2009 at an estimated cost of $1.558 billion (93.5 percent of the cost of project loan). Token allocation of Rs 10 million exists for this project in the federal Public Sector Development Programme 2011-12.

The official further informed that City District Government Karachi is presently conducting a study for Karachi Transportation Improvement Project under Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Grant-in-Aid. The PC-II for the study estimated cost of Rs 370.8 million was approved by Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on March 18, 2010. The agreement of the study was signed in October 2009 and work was started soon after that. The first phase of study is expected to be completed by December 2011 and the second phase by June 2012. Further course of action on the proposed Mass Transit System would be taken accordingly for its implementation, added the official.

National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance which was scheduled to discuss and review the progress on the said project on Wednesday morning at parliament house was postponed due to the non-presence of the members of the committee.

Chairperson of the Committee Fauzia Wahab MNA informed the reporters that this Committee meeting was requested by five members of the committee namely Abdul Rashid Godail MNA, Shahid Khakan Abbasi MNA, Bushra Gohar MNA, Khalda Mansor MNA and Nighat Parveen MNA and no one of these members have reached in the meeting despite lapse of 45 minutes of scheduled time of 10 am, she had no option but to postpone this meeting.

Later, Shahid Khakan Abbasi MNA dispelled the impression that five members had requested this meeting for having discussion on Karachi Circular Rail project. Aftab Shaban Mirani, who reached parliament house after the postponement of the meeting was of the view that it was called too early and it should have been convened at 11 am instead of 10 am.



Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Omar1984]

'Japan to continue its role in Pakistan’s development’


TOKYO: Japan will continue to play its role in Pakistan’s economic development, the Ambassador of Japan in Pakistan Hiroshi Oe Pakistan said in an interview with The News.

Pakistan can attract huge foreign investment but for that the country needs to create an investment friendly environment, he said.

“Hopefully the Pakistani officials understand what could be done to create a better investment environment,” Oe said.

“Pakistani nation is very hardworking and whenever the country gets a favourable environment, the pace of development always become excellent,” the envoy said.

Oe said that Japan is providing financial aid to Pakistan in different sectors such as electrical transmission projects, road and tunnel development, dams’ maintenance, water supply projects, and for the flood victims in the Sindh province. Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) is one of the major infrastructure projects proposed by the government of Japan, Oe said. “We know the KCR has some problems but I hope that the Pakistani and the Japanese officials will work together to sort out these problems and initiate the project.”


http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=76179&Cat=3

 

[NirmalKrish]

Are there not any civil engineering projects for the people of Pakistan that is planned, invested and budgeted via the GOP or private investors/businessmen from Pakistan? Why is it that the government always going for soft loans? its quiet sad that GOP always having to rely on financial aid.

 

[53fd]

Are there not any civil engineering projects for the people of Pakistan that is planned, invested and budgeted via the GOP or private investors/businessmen from Pakistan? Why is it that the government always going for soft loans? its quiet sad that GOP always having to rely on financial aid.

When you are engaged in a war where you have incurred over $100 billion losses, along with many other issues (floods), it is hard for the government to raise money itself on these kinds of projects.

 

[Omar1984]

Are there not any civil engineering projects for the people of Pakistan that is planned, invested and budgeted via the GOP or private investors/businessmen from Pakistan? Why is it that the government always going for soft loans? its quiet sad that GOP always having to rely on financial aid.

Pakistan's economy is not going so great, especially since the corrupt PPP government came to power.

China and Japan have helped Pakistan a lot especially with infrastructure. Japan also helped Pakistan construct the famous Kohat Tunnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

 

[NirmalKrish]

Pakistan's economy is not going so great, especially since the corrupt PPP government came to power.

China and Japan have helped Pakistan a lot especially with infrastructure. Japan also helped Pakistan construct the famous Kohat Tunnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Well I hope at least this deal which will be good for the people of Pakistan Is free of corruption and implemented as quick as possible. Good to see some positive developments for the people of pakistan every once in a while.

 

[RKhan]

Can't wait for this when I come back and visit. What country is supplying the trains?

 

[SurvivoR]

Tell me when its up and running... till then Dil k behlanay ko Ghalib ye khayal acha hai

 

[Omar1984]

Tell me when its up and running... till then Dil k behlanay ko Ghalib ye khayal acha hai

It will be up and running within a year PTI comes into power InshAllah