The Pakistan Academy of Engineering (PAE) has proposed building Karachi’s first underground railway network, calling it a long-term solution to the city’s rising traffic and transportation problems.
The proposal was presented during the academy’s 40th symposium, titled Importance of Underground Mobility in a Megacity. The event brought together transport and engineering experts from Pakistan, the United States and China, who reviewed the performance of underground rail systems in cities such as Singapore, New York, Washington DC, Delhi, Friedberg and Dhaka.
After the discussions, participants unanimously recommended the construction of two underground railway corridors in Karachi. One proposed route would run from Numaish Chowrangi to Merewether Tower, while the second would connect FTC on Sharea Faisal with I.I. Chundrigar Road and Tower.
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PAE President Prof. Dr. Brig. (retd.) Nasim Akhtar Khan said Karachi’s growing population and increasing transport needs make long-term infrastructure planning essential. He said an underground railway system would provide a sustainable solution for the city’s future transport requirements.
The academy said the proposed railway would work alongside Karachi’s existing Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) network to create an integrated public transport system capable of serving a much larger number of passengers.
Experts at the symposium also said the project could ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity between residential and commercial areas, reduce pollution and provide millions of commuters with a safer and more dependable mode of transport.