The city of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...

is a major

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land ( rail and road), water, cable, pipelin ...

hub of

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

. The Karachi

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

and

airport An airport is an aerodrome with extended facilities, mostly for commercial air transport. Airports usually consists of a landing area, which comprises an aerially accessible open space including at least one operationally active surfa ...

are major gateways to Pakistan. The Karachi Railway stations transports the major part of Pakistan's trade with other countries.

Local transport

Metrobuses which run on 6 different routes and have a combined length of 150km are the most modern, fastest and cheapest mode of transport for Karachiites. Old style Minibuses, coaches and large buses are also still used to commute across the city. Rickshaws, Qingqi and taxis cater to the travelling needs of upper middle class, while radio cabs or white cabs are frequently used by upper class travelers. This makes it possible for people without their own vehicles to access remote areas of the city.

Metrobus

The Pakistani Government is developing the

Karachi Metrobus Karachi Breeze is a is a network of bus rapid transit lines under construction in Karachi, Pakistan. Construction began in 2013, two lines are operational and one line is under construction as of early 2022, with 3 more planned. The projected ri ...

project, which is a 6-line bus rapid transit system. The Metrobus project was inaugurated by then-Prime Minister

Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Pak ...

on 25th February 2016. Sharif said the "project will be more beautiful than Lahore Metro Bus". Green Line became operational on 25th December 2021. Orange Line became operational on 10th September 2022. Red Line is underconstruction and is scheduled to complete by 2024.

Karachi Circular Railway

Karachi Circular Railway Karachi Circular Railway (abbreviated as KCR) ( ur, , Sindhi: ڪراچي سرڪيولر ريلوي) is a partially active regional public transit system in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, which serves the Karachi metropolitan area. KCR was fully ...

is a partially active regional

public transit system Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

in Karachi, which serves the Karachi metropolitan area. KCR was fully operational between 1969 and 1999. Since 2001, restoration of the railway and restarting the system had been sought. In November 2020, the KCR partially revived operations. KCR was included in CPEC by

Shehbaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: , ; born 23 September 1951) is a Pakistani politician and businessman who is currently serving as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan, in office since 11 April 2022. He is the current president of ...

and construction started in 2022. Existing 43km KCR track and stations would be completely rebuilt into world class

automated Automation describes a wide range of technologies that reduce human intervention in processes, namely by predetermining decision criteria, subprocess relationships, and related actions, as well as embodying those predeterminations in machines ...

rapid transit Rapid transit or mass rapid transit (MRT), also known as heavy rail or metro, is a type of high-capacity public transport generally found in urban areas. A rapid transit system that primarily or traditionally runs below the surface may be ...

system with

environment friendly Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...

electric trains. The route would not be changed however many underpasses and bridges would be built along the route to eliminate 22-level crossings. New KCR would be similar to

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

's Orange Train. New KCR would have joint stations with

at points of intersection. Project would be operational by 2024. With its hub at

Karachi City station Karachi City Station ( ur, ), formerly McLeod Station, is one of two main Karachi railway terminals along with the Karachi Cantonment station. Karachi City Station is located on I. I. Chundrigar Road, adjacent to Habib Bank Plaza, in Karachi, ...

I. I. Chundrigar Road I. I. Chundrigar Road ( ur, ), previously known as McLeod Road, is a road located in central business district of Karachi, Pakistan, and is named after former Pakistani Prime Minister Ibrahim Ismail Chundrigar. The road serves as the spine of ...

, KCR will be a

public transit Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typic ...

system that connects the city centre with several industrial, commercial and residential districts within the city.

Tramway service

An iconic tramway service was started in 1884 by the British in Karachi. The service was run on multiple routes by

Mohamedali Tramways Company Mohamedali Tramways Company (MTC) was a transport network of rail vehicles in Karachi, Pakistan. History The idea of a tramway system for Karachi was conceived and a tender for its construction was first made in 1881. On February 8, 1883 a plan f ...

between 1947 and 1975. In 1975 trams closed due to unknown reason. However, the revival of tramway service is proposed by Karachi Administrator Iftikhar Ali. Turkey has offered assistance in the revival and launching modern tramway service in Karachi.

Auto Rickshaws

A motorized three-wheeler (pictured) that seats two passengers generally used for short distances. In addition there are around 50,000 six-seater rickshaws operating in the city. In 2019, a distance of six kilometers should not cost more than Rs10 according to the government’s tariff.

Old-style Buses

The people of Karachi use

minibuses A minibus, microbus, minicoach, or commuter (in Zimbabwe) is a passenger-carrying motor vehicle that is designed to carry more people than a multi-purpose vehicle or minivan, but fewer people than a full-size bus. In the United Kingdom, t ...

coaches Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, and large buses which are beautified with cultural art. They are often cramped and filled to the brim. They are often operated by reckless drivers who do not follow the rules of the road, endangering many.

Car Taxi services

Companies like

Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), packa ...

and

Careem Careem is a Dubai-based super app with operations in over 100 cities, covering 12 countries across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia regions. The company, which was valued at over billion in 2018, became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Uber ...

allow potential passengers to order a car to carry them to any destination for an agreed fare.''The News'' June 25, 2019
/ref>

Bus Ride-sharing Services

These services include SWVL.

Rail transport

Railways

Karachi is linked by rail to the rest of the country by the

Pakistan Railways Pakistan Railways ( ur, ) is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan. Founded in 1861 and headquartered in Lahore, it owns of track across Pakistan, stretching from Torkham to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger servi ...

. The

Karachi City railway station Karachi City Station ( ur, ), formerly McLeod Station, is one of two main Karachi railway terminals along with the Karachi Cantonment station. Karachi City Station is located on I. I. Chundrigar Road, adjacent to Habib Bank Plaza, in Karachi, ...

and

Karachi Cantonment railway station Karachi Cantonment Railway Station ( ur, , Sindhi: ڪراچي ڇانوڻي ريلوي اسٽيشن) (often abbreviated as Karachi Cantt.) is one of the busiest and principal railway stations in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is situated near Dr. ...

are the city's two major railway stations. The railway system handles a large amount of freight to and from the Karachi port apart from providing passenger services to people travelling up country.

Streets, motorways and highways

Highways

N-5 National Highway

The

N-5 National Highway The N-5 or National Highway 5 (Urdu: ) is a 1819 km national highway in Pakistan, which extends from Karachi in Sindh to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Route The N-5 is the longest national highway in Pakistan and serves as an importa ...

is the longest national highway in

and serves as an important north–south road artery which extends from

in Sindh province to

Torkham Torkham (; ps, , translit=tūrxam) is a major border crossing between the Pakistani city of Torkham and Afghanistan, located along the Grand Trunk Road on the international border between the two countries. It connects Nangarhar province of A ...

in the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas , conventional_long_name = Federally Administered Tribal Areas , nation = Pakistan , subdivision = Autonomous territory , image_flag = Flag of FATA.svg , image_coat = File:Coat of arms ...

(FATA)

N-25 National Highway

The

N-25 National Highway The N-25 or National Highway 25 ( ur, ) is an 850 km national highway in Pakistan which extends along from Karachi in Sindh province to Quetta in Balochistan province. It was previously known as the ''Regional Cooperation for Development ...

or RCD Highway connects Karachi with Hub, an industrial city in Balochistan and Quetta, the capital of Balochistan and onwards to Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey. It also connects

with

Makran Coastal Highway The N-10 or National Highway 10 (Urdu: ) is a 653 km national highway in Pakistan which extends along Pakistan's Arabian Sea coast from Karachi in Sindh province to Gwadar in Balochistan province. It passes the towns of Ormara and Pasni. ...

(N-10) and Motorway M-7. The RCD Highway was constructed under a treaty between

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

and

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...

to promote economic cooperation.

N-110 National Highway

The N-110 National Highway connects

Gharo Gharo ( sd, گھارو ') is a Town located in Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. Its population is about 2.000 families in 2017. It has large bazar for shopping of local communities, sits on the delta of the Indus River, its economy is based on ...

to the town of

Keti Bunder The Keti Bandar Port ( ur, ) is a port on the Arabian Sea, in the Thatta District, Sindh, Pakistan. The port was built on the remains of the older seaport of Debal where Muhammad bin Qasim and his army arrived from Iraq. Keti Bandar is approximate ...

Thatta District Thatta District ( sd, ٺٽو ضلعو, ur, ) is located in the southern area, locally called ''Laar'', of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Its capital is Thatta. It is home to a large necropolis of Makli. In 2013, several talukas were separa ...

in Sindh province of Pakistan. Its total length is 90 km.

Sindh Coastal Highway

The Sindh Coastal Highway connects

with coastal cities of Sindh. It starts from N5 between Dhabeji and Gharo and ends near Keti Bunder.

Motorway

Motorway (M-9)

The M-9 Motorway, also called Super Highway begins north of Karachi at the end of

Mohammad Ali Jinnah Road Muhammad Ali Jinnah Road (), frequently abbreviated as MA Jinnah Road, is a major thoroughfare in central Karachi, Pakistan. The road was originally named Bandar Road ( ;''"Port Road"''), owing to the fact that it linked the city to the Port of ...

, near junction of

Karachi Northern Bypass The M-10 motorway ( ur, ) or the Karachi Northern Bypass ( ur, ) is a two-lane 57 km Motorways of Pakistan, motorway in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It connects the M-9 motorway (Pakistan), M-9 motorway to the Karachi Port, and provides an easy ac ...

(also known as M10). It is connected with the Karachi Northern Bypass with a trumpet interchange. Then it continues out of the city. From there it continues on a northeast track and forms a junction with the N5 via a link road. Once out of Karachi it enters the desert of Thar. The motorway ends outside of

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India ...

, in the suburban town of

Kotri Kotri ( sd, ڪوٽڙي, ur, ) is a city and the headquarters of the Kotri Taluka of Jamshoro District of Sindh province in Pakistan. Located on the right bank of the Indus River, it is the 29th largest city in Pakistan by population. Name Th ...

with a cloverleaf interchange. From there it merges onto the N5.

M-10 motorway

M-10 motorway or Karachi Northern Bypass (M10) begins north of Karachi at the end of

, near the junction of the M9. It then continues north for a few kilometers before turning west, where it forms an interchange with the N25. After this interchange it eventually turns south back towards Karachi and merges onto the KPT Flyover at

Karachi Port The Port of Karachi ( ur, , ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Kar ...

Expressway

Lyari Expressway

Lyari Expressway Lyari Expressway ( ur, , sd, لیاری بزرگرہ) is a 38 km city district expressway constructed along the Lyari River in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. History The expressway was expected to be completed by August 2017, with a formal in ...

is a highway along the

Lyari River Lyari River ( ur, ) is a small ephemeral stream that flows through the Pakistani megacity of Karachi from north east to the center and drains into the Arabian Sea at the Manora channel. It is one of the two rivers of Karachi, the other one b ...

in Karachi, Sindh,

connecting the Port of Karachi with M9 Motorway.

's North bound section is recently opened for traffic while the South bound corridor was completed and inaugurated for traffic in 2008. This toll highway is designed to relieve congestion in the city of Karachi. It is a 16.5 km expressway that consist of four lanes on both sides, with two interchanges, five overpasses and five underpasses. Moreover, two lanes each are constructed on banks of the

. The expressway has

toll plaza A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or '' toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemente ...

s at four locations.

Malir Expressway

Malir Expressway Malir Expressway is a 39 km underconstruction expressway starting from KPT Interchange, cross through Qayyumabad and conclude at the Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway near Kathore, along the Malir River. Route Map and Construction It was approved ...

is currently a 38 km underconstruction expressway starting from Hino-Chowk and ending near Kathore on the Superhighway (M-9) along the Malir River. The expressway would serve as the Southern alternative route for carrying traffic of the port and industrial areas to main highways.

Mauripur Expressway

Mauripur Expressway is a proposed expressway along Mauripur Road.

Waterways

Kemari Boat Basin, Karachi and Sydenham Passenger Pavilion

Two ferries operate between Keamari and

Manora Island Manora ( sd, منهوڙو, ur, ) is a small peninsula that forms a protective barrier between Karachi Harbour to the north and the Arabian Sea to the south. Manora, having a total population of 4,273 local residents (as per 2017 census), was f ...

named after Arfa Karim and Afza Altaf daily. Besides these, hundreds of boats operate between Kemari and Manora daily. Karachi-Mumbai Ferry Service operated until 1965. The ferry service played an important role of transporting Muslim refugees from

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

while bringing Hindu and Sikh refugees to India.

Pipelines

White Oil Pipeline

The White Oil Pipeline (White Oil Pipeline Project (WOP)) carries imported oil from Port Qasim to Pak-Arab Refinery Limited (PARCO) at Mehmood Kot,

Muzaffargarh Muzaffargarh (Urdu and pa, , , Fort of Muzaffar) is a city in the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Located on the bank of the Chenab River, it is the capital of the district with the same name. It is the 39th largest city of Pakistan by populatio ...

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising a ...

Pak-Arab Refinery's oil pipeline operations
/ref>

Sui Gas Pipeline

The Sui Gas Pipeline carries natural gas from Sui gas fields in Sui,

Balochistan Balochistan ( ; bal, بلۏچستان; also romanised as Baluchistan and Baluchestan) is a historical region in Western and South Asia, located in the Iranian plateau's far southeast and bordering the Indian Plate and the Arabian Sea coastline. ...

, Sindh.

Ports and harbours

The largest shipping ports in Pakistan are the

Port of Karachi The Port of Karachi ( ur, , ''Bandar gāh Karāchī'') is one of South Asia's largest and busiest deep-water seaports, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum) located in Karachi, Pakistan. It is located on the Kar ...

and the nearby Port Qasim. These seaports have modern facilities and not only handle trade for Pakistan, but also serve as ports for Afghanistan and the land-locked Central Asian countries. Plans have been announced for new passenger facilities at the

Port of Karachi

The

's largest and busiest

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as H ...

, handling about 60% of the nation's cargo (25 million tons per annum). The port is located between the towns of

Kiamari Keamari ( sd, ڪياماڙي, ur, کیماڑی ) is a neighbourhood in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Keamari was originally an independent settlement that was built on a sandy ridge on the eastern side of Karachi Harbour. History Keamari was a l ...

and

Saddar Saddar ( ur, ), also known as Saddar Bazaar, is a neighbourhood in Karachi, Pakistan. The locality was developed as the primary commercial district during the period of British-era rule in Karachi. As a result, Saddar contains the large concentr ...

, close to the heart of old Karachi, the main business district, and several industrial areas. The geographic position of Karachi places the port close to major shipping routes such as the Strait of Hormuz. The administration of the port is carried out by the

Karachi Port Trust The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) ( ur, ) is a Pakistani federal government agency under the administrative control of the Federal Maritime Secretary that oversees the operations of the Port of Karachi, one of South Asia's largest and busiest de ...

which was established in the nineteenth century.

Port Qasim

The Port Muhammad Bin Qasim is a port in Karachi, Sindh,

on the coastline of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. It was constructed in the late 1970s to relieve congestion at

. The port was developed close to the

Pakistan Steel Mills The Pakistan Steel Mills Corporation, colloquially referred to as ''Pak Steels'', is a Pakistan-based company that produces long-rolled steel and heavy metal products in the country. Headquartered in Karachi, Sindh, the PSMC is currently the l ...

complex near the Indus River delta.

Air transport

The

Jinnah International Airport Jinnah International Airport ( ur, جناح بین الاقوامی ہوائی اڈا) , formerly Drigh Road Airport or Karachi Civil Airport, is Pakistan's busiest international and domestic airport, and handled 7,267,582 passengers in 2017 ...

of Karachi is the largest and busiest airport of the country. It handles 10 million passengers a year. The airport also receives the largest number of foreign airlines, a total of 27 airlines fly to Jinnah International predominantly from the Middle East and South East Asia. All of Pakistan's airlines use Karachi as their primary hub including

Pakistan International Airlines Pakistan International Airlines ( ur, ; abbreviated PIA, ur, ) is an international airline that serves as the national flag carrier of Pakistan under the administrative control of the Secretary to the Government of Pakistan for Aviation. It ...

and

airblue Airblue Limited (stylized as airblue) is a private Pakistani airline with its head office on the 12th floor of the Islamabad Stock Exchange (ISE) Towers in Islamabad, Pakistan. Airblue operates scheduled domestic and international flights, the ...

References

{{Karachi topics