Orange Line Metro Train: Govt likely to miss deadline due to stay orders

Two more locomotive sets for the project will reach the city tomorrow

LAHORE: Although the development work  on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) is in full swing, the government is likely to miss the project's deadline next month due to the court’s stay orders.

OLMT Steering Committee Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan in the weekly progress review meeting of the project said that two more locomotive sets for the OLMT will reach the city on Friday (tomorrow), while a batch of eight trains is ready for shipment from Shanghai, China.



He said the trains for the metro project have been transported to the port in Shanghai and would be shipped to Pakistan shortly. A total of 27 trains will be imported for the metro train project, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Hassaan said that the metro train was a project of special significance and various government agencies were working on it tirelessly.

The meeting participants were informed that about 77% development works of the project have been completed. From Dera Gujjran to Chaburji (package-1) all development works have been completed except sites on which the court has given stay orders.

The meeting revealed that one-fourth of rail track has been laid in the depot and package-1 sites, while 80% development works on 12 elevated train stations (out of 13) have been completed.

It was disclosed in the meeting that 87.1% development works have been completed on package-1, 60% on package-2 (from Chaburji to Ali Town), 82% on package-3 (depot) and 79% on package-4 (stabling yard). The participants were informed that the pace of development works have been increased on package-2 to meet the deadline next month.

It was further informed that 563 u-tub girders have been built out of total 806, while 430 girders have been installed on package-2, while roads underneath the metro train track have been opened for traffic after restoration. The bridge (185 metre) over Parachute Colony has been completed 90% and the remaining development works would be completed during the current month.

The meeting was attended by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority General Manager Syed Aziz Shah, NESPAK General Manager Salman Hafeez, Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency Chief Engineer Saifur Rehman, officials of the Lahore Electricity Supply Company, Sui Gas, Pakistan Railways, Traffic Police, Civil Defence, Rescue 1122 and representatives of the Chinese contracting companies, CR-NORINCO.



The 27-kilometre metro train project is being funded through $1.65 billion (Rs165 billion) soft loan by China's Exim Bank. The project documents indicated around $1 billion would be directly transferred to the Chinese contractors  for procurement of the rolling stock while the remaining amount would be transferred to Pakistan for construction of track and provision of allied infrastructure.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2017.