Chinese to supervise metro for first five years

Committee chairman says three train sets have reached Lahore

LAHORE: Chinese workers will run and supervise the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) operations for the first five years besides local staff training in subsequent years.

Punjab Chief Minister’s Advisor and OLMT Steering Committee Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan disclosed this in the project’s weekly review meeting held on Wednesday. Hassaan highlighted that the rolling stock of all 27 trains for the OLMT project had been manufactured in China and were being shipped to Pakistan keeping in view the availability of space for parking.

Three train sets had already reached Lahore and the other three had been unloaded in Karachi, he said. Moreover, four train sets were in transit while another four were being loaded on ship from Shanghai, he added. Once this metro train will be operational, over 250,000 citizens will get benefit from the service daily.

Hassaan directed the local contractors to expedite finishing work at Islam Park and Salamat Pura metro stations, which were being set up as model stations for replication at other places as Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif wanted to inspect design and quality of the work.

Hassaan disclosed that a high-level Communist Party of China (CPC) delegation was visiting the provincial metropolis on December 9. The guest delegation would also visit the construction sites of the metro train to inspect development works, he said.

He also directed for implementing fire prevention inspection for site and dormitory for construction personnel. He emphasised for forcing ban on illegal night warming by open fire and high-power electrical heating for avoiding untoward incidents in the winter season.



National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) General Manager Salman Hafeez told the meeting participants that in total 78.2 percent of civil work had been completed besides 32 percent electrical and mechanical work. He highlighted that on package-1 (from Dera Gujjaran to Chouburji) 87.4 percent development work had been completed. On package-2 (from Chouburji to Ali Town) 63 percent progress had been made, on package-3 (train depot near Dera Gujjaran) 82.4 percent and on package-4 (stabling yard near Ali Town) 82 percent work had been completed.

Hafeez said that the project had now entered into its completion phase and all 26 metro train stations were being completed as per international standards. Over 86 percent civil and 67 percent electrical and mechanical works were done at Islam Park Station which was being developed as model station for being used as a sample for completing the remaining stations.

MPA Chaudhry Shabaz Ahmad, Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Chief Engineer Asrar Saeed Khan, Punjab Mass transit Authority (PMA) Manager Operations Sayed Ozair Shah, Traffic Engineering and Transport Planning Agency (TEPA) Chief Engineer Saif-ur-Rehman and senior officials of LESCO, WASA, PTCL, Sui Gas, traffic police, Pakistan Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence were present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2017.