Karachi may be a step closer to its first underground metro system after Pakistan’s leading engineering body proposed developing an underground railway network to address the city’s growing traffic congestion, population pressures, and public transport challenges.
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According to Gulf News report, the proposal was presented during the Pakistan Academy of Engineering’s (PAE) 40th Symposium, titled Importance of Underground Mobility in a Megacity.
Transport and engineering experts from Pakistan, China, and the United States recommended two underground rail corridors as the foundation of a future mass transit network for the country’s largest city.
Proposed Metro Corridors
As reported by Gulf News, the academy suggested two initial underground routes:
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- Corridor 1: Numaish Chowrangi to Merewether Tower
- Corridor 2: FTC on Sharea Faisal to I.I. Chundrigar Road and Tower
PAE President Professor Dr. Brig. (retd.) Nasim Akhtar Khan described underground rail as a long-term necessity for Karachi, arguing that expanding road infrastructure alone will not meet the transport needs of the city’s rapidly increasing population.
“Karachi has to go underground for mass transit. Why not start today?” he said during the symposium, as quoted by Gulf News.
Professor Khan also emphasized that the project could showcase Pakistan’s engineering capabilities by becoming one of the country’s few large-scale infrastructure developments conceived and designed locally.
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The symposium reviewed successful metro systems in cities including Singapore, New York, Washington, Delhi, Friedberg, and Dhaka to examine how underground rail has improved urban mobility and reduced reliance on road transport.
Complementing the Existing BRT
Rather than replacing Karachi’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the proposed underground metro would work alongside it.
According to Gulf News, experts believe an integrated metro and BRT network would improve connectivity between residential and commercial areas while significantly increasing passenger capacity.
They also noted that an underground rail system could reduce congestion, shorten travel times, improve commuter safety, and help lower air pollution.
Addressing Karachi’s Transport Crisis
Karachi, with an estimated population of nearly 22 million, continues to face a severe shortage of public transport.
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Gulf News reported that buses account for roughly 42 percent of passenger trips despite representing less than 5 percent of the city’s total vehicle fleet, leading to overcrowding and insufficient service.
Transport experts estimate the city requires around 10,000 additional buses to meet existing demand. At present, Karachi’s public transport network includes about 100 buses operating on the Green Line and Orange Line BRT routes, alongside 339 buses under the Peoples Bus Service.
Linked to the Karachi Transport Master Plan
The report notes that transport planners have long attributed Karachi’s mobility challenges to the incomplete implementation of the Karachi Transport Master Plan 2030, prepared by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
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The plan envisioned six BRT corridors supported by a fleet of around 10,000 buses, but much of that vision has yet to be realized.
The proposed underground metro is intended to complement these plans by providing a high-capacity rail network capable of transporting significantly more passengers than road-based systems.
