PAKISTAN: The Capital Development Authority has met with Chinese railway officials to discuss the potential development of a light rail system in Islamabad.
Four possible lines were considered by CDA and two routes have been selected for further development.
The first would run for 30·5 km from Rawat GT Road to Faisal Mosque along the Islamabad Expressway. The second would run from the airport to the H-8 area near the Pakistan Monument. Largely following the Srinagar Highway, this could partly incorporate an existing railway alignment.
The other options included a 27·5 km route from T-Chowk to GT Road and a 10·4 km link from Pirwadhai to Faizabad via the IJP bus station.
Earlier this year, CDA planners reportedly approached the Economic Affairs Division to seek international funding from the Asian Development Bank or Japan International Co-operation Agency. However, this would be dependent on the completion of a detailed feasibility study.
