OLMT to get first bogies by mid-July

Commissioner says first shipment of passenger wagons will reach Pakistan in mid-July.

LAHORE: The laying of rail tracks for the Lahore Orange Line Train (OLMT) has started in the depot area near Dera Gujjran, while the first shipment of passenger bogies is expected to reach Pakistan in mid-July, said Lahore Division Commissioner Abdullah Khan Sumbal. He was speaking at the project’s weekly progress review meeting held on Wednesday.

Abdullah said construction activity on the rail track was underway as 27 trains, each comprising five bogeys, would operate through the metro train. These trains would be parked in the depot area near Dera Gujjran until construction of the metro train track was completed. Once the country’s first metro train starts operation, there will be five to 10 minutes headway between trains, depending on the rush of passengers, he said.



Almost 67% development work on the project has been completed so far. At least 82% ground civil works on the OLMT package-1 (from Dera Gujjran to Chauburji) has been completed, while half of the construction work on package-2 (from Chauburji to Ali Town) is also done. Similarly, 73% and 64.4% development works had been completed on package-3 (OLMT Depot) and package-4 (stabling yard), respectively.

The meeting was informed at least 341 transoms and 641 u-tub girders (in which rail track will be laid) had been pre-cast. At the moment, contractors were installing them for the timely completion of the project.

The OLMT package-2 contractors have also completed piling and pile caps. Currently, they are preparing for pre-casting of 819 u-tub girders and 395 transoms for the remaining portion.

The road reconstruction between Chauburji and Thokar Niaz Baig has also been completed. The commissioner told departments to ensure utility supplies and smooth flow of traffic during the holy month of Ramazan.

The 27-kilometer Orange Line Metro Train Project is being funded through a $1.65 billion (Rs165 billion) soft loan through the China’s Exim Banks. The project documents indicate around $1 billion will be directly transferred to Chinese contractors CR-NORINCO for procurement of the rolling stock, while the remaining amount will be handed to Pakistan for the construction of track and allied infrastructure.



The project is part of the city metro network and will connect Raiwind, Multan Road, Mcleod Road, Lahore Junction Railway Station and the Grand Trunk Road after completion. It will be the primary line of the Lahore Metro, which is the country’s country’s first mass rapid transit train system.

Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed, Punjab Mass Transit Authority Director Operations Syed Uzair Shah, Traffic Engineering and Planning Agency (TEPA) Chief Engineer Saif ur Rehman and other senior officials of various government departments and utility companies were present at the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2017.