Inspection team visits KCR railway tracks in North Nazimabad

KARACHI: The railway ministry has expedited monitoring of railway tracks following the strict orders released by the Supreme Court (SC) for making Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) operational within three months, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

A four-member team comprising members of Pakistan Railways have visited a KCR track in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area. Sources said the officials found the track between City Station and Shah Latif railway station in useable for railway operations.

However, they witnessed various tracks vanished on the routes between Shah Latif railway station and North Nazimabad area, whereas, all local stations from Wazir Mansion to North Nazimabad in deplorable condition.

Read: SC orders to make KCR functional in three months

The signalling system is completely destructed with non-availability of electricity and communication mechanism, whereas, the inspection team faced trouble to trace out the remaining tracks due to the construction of roads on various spots for Green Line project.

Sources added that gates installed at all railway crossings are also vanished or exist in unusable condition. The four-member team will present its inspection report to higher officials of the railway ministry this week, sources said.

Earlier in the day, the top court ordered to make Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) operational within three months. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah heard the Railways department losses case.

Read: KCR track to be restored within 15 days, says Sheikh Rasheed

Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar and Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed appeared before the court.

During the hearing, Rasheed informed the court about the ongoing encroachment operation at the land of Karachi Circular Railway and told that 85pc of work has been completed. “We razed buildings last night and Sindh government is also cooperating with us,” Rasheed told the court.

Read: Sindh govt to provide alternative places to affectees of KCR: Saeed Ghani

At which, the CJP questioned why the KCR project was handed over to the Sindh government.

“Sindh government will ruin the entire project. KCR will become like the situation of transport in Sindh,” remarked CJP Gulzar.

The apex court then ordered KCR to be operational within three months and the ML-1 to be fully functional within two years.