The construction of the Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) at a cost of $2.002 billion will be undertaken by the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC). This decision was made following a meeting between the Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh, Former Justice Maqbool Baqir, and the President and Vice President of CRCC in Beijing. According to reports in the media, the KCR is set to be a 43-kilometer elevated railway featuring 24 stations. It is projected to serve 650,000 passengers daily and will connect various areas of Karachi, including industrial zones, commercial districts, and residential neighborhoods. The KCR project became a part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in 2016, and an updated feasibility study in 2023 confirmed a total cost of $2.002 billion.
The Caretaker Chief Minister of Sindh and the Vice President of CRCC reached an agreement to address land-related issues concerning the KCR project. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2024, with an expected completion within three years. Once finished, the KCR will significantly enhance Karachi’s transportation infrastructure and contribute to alleviating traffic congestion in the city.
