KCR runs into another hurdle

Restoration reportedly to be deferred to Nov 19 due to lack of facilities, preparation

Confusion mars the resumption of services for Karachi Circular Railway (KCR), with reports emerging that it has been deferred to November 19 while Karachi Railways DCO Nasir Nazeer denies being officially informed of any such development.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday, he said November 16 was fixed as the initial date for the resumption of the train service but the Federal Railways Minister later announced to the media that it had been postponed to November 19.

“But we haven’t been officially informed about it and have been making preparations to restore the services on November 16, as decided initially,” he added.

Meanwhile, sources in the Pakistan Railways, who requested anonymity, said the resumption of the intra-city railway service had been postponed due to “inadequate arrangements, operational, administrative and technical issues and the absence of facilities on the KCR route between City and Orangi Stations.”

The Ministry of Railways had announced earlier this week that in the first phase of the intra-city rail service’s restoration, trains would run between Pipri and Orangi Stations, making eight trips up and down the tracks in a day, from November 16.

However, even then, the possibility of that happening remained doubtful for multiple reasons.

The part of the railway track from City Station to Orangi Station was yet to be cleared and sources in Pakistan Railways had disclosed to The Express Tribune that the decision to resume the KCR’s operations was taken in haste and no proper preparations had been made for the purpose. There are multiple technical snags that need to be addressed, they had added.

Separately, a survey conducted by The Express Tribune had laid bare the derelict state of the KCR track at various spots, lack of facilities at most stations and the ruinous condition of Orangi Station, where the ticket-house was found to be lacking any doors and windows, covered in dirt, and being used as a gathering point for drug addicts.

Confirming this, PR sources told The Express Tribune that the debris of razed encroachments still piled up on the KCR track and lack of arrangements for a ticket booth just two days before the resumption of the train service were the primary reasons why the initial resumption date had been changed to November 19.

They said the removal of debris had been initiated and the revamp of the damaged track connecting Orangi and City Stations was underway, adding that it was likely that the KCR service would be resumed in the coming week.

According to railways officials, to compensate for the lack of ticket booths, the PR had decided to appoint ‘mobile ticket clerks’ who will sell tickets to passengers in the trains.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2020.