Federal cabinet members visit KCR track

Advisor to the Prime Minister for Institutional Reforms and Austerity Measures Ishrat Husain and Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro on Sunday travelled from the City Railway Station to the railway station in Orangi by the Karachi Circular Railway-II (KCR) track.

Divisional Superintendent Pakistan Railways Karachi Muhammad Hanif Gul welcomed the visiting cabinet members at the City Station and accompanied them along with the KCR Project Director Ameer Mohammad Daudpota and divisional officers.

The cabinet members had a detailed outlook of the en route railways' infrastructure especially the right-of-way retrieved along the 14 kilometres of the recently rehabilitated track between the City and Orangi stations.

They enquired about the expenditure, income and occupancy statistics for the KCR service. According to a press statement issued by the Pakistan Railways, the cabinet members lauded the efforts of Railways officials to rehabilitate the KCR track and added that similar endeavours would make the remaining 16 kilometres of the KCR loop functional.

"The federal government aims at restructuring the Pakistan Railways so that it can offer best services to its valued customers," remarked Dr Husain. The cabinet members also visited the remaining 16 kilometres of the track from Orangi to the Drigh road and questioned the major impediments in the rehabilitation of the track.

They were briefed particularly about the issues at the Green Line interchange area and construction of overhead and underpass bridges that were drastically required in the remaining loop.