KCR set to resume operations on Thursday

The Karachi Circular Railway is set to resume operations on November 19 after 20 years as a train for the intra-city project arrived at the City Station on Monday.

The service has two locomotives and 11 coaches, each having the capacity to transport 100 passengers, 64 on seat and 36 standing, all the way from the Pipri station to the Orangi station.

The distance between the Pipri and Orangi stations is around 60 kilometres, according to a statement issued by the Pakistan Railways. “Four trains in [two directions] will commute the passengers between Pipri and Orangi stations with a uniform gap of three hours.”

The first train will depart from the Orangi station at 7am on November 19 followed by subsequent departures at 10am, 1pm and 4pm. A uniform fare of Rs50 per travel has also been fixed.

The Pakistan Railways Pipri Station is near the Pakistan Steel Mills. All the way from Pipri, Landhi, Malir, Drigh Road, Cantt Station till the City Station runs the Pakistan Railways Main Line (ML-1), which is of 46 kilometres long.

From the City Station towards the Orangi Station, the distance is around 14 kilometres. After the City Station, there are Keamari, Karachi Port Trust, Wazir Mansion, Lyari, Baldia, Gulbai, SITE, Shah Latif and Orangi stations.

According to an official of Pakistan Railways, the ML-1 is already functional for the inter-city trains. Regarding the encroachments on the KCR’s track from the City Station towards the Orangi Station, the official explained that all major encroachments have been removed with the fixation of the track. The distance, he said, will be covered in not more than 45 minutes from Pipri to Orangi.

The KCR started its operations in 1969 under the administration of the Pakistan Railways and was discontinued in 1999 due to major financial losses. Since then, several attempts were undertaken by the federal and provincial governments to revive the local train.