Finishing works underway before OLMT launch

Apex court had given January 2020 deadline to provincial government to make metro train project functional

LAHORE: The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has directed Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) contractors to complete all development works of the project before the commercial launch of the project to avoid any inconvenience to commuters.

Presiding over the OLMT project’s progress review meeting on Monday, LDA Director General Sumair Ahmad Syed instructed officials concerned to complete the remaining works of their packages at the earliest. All resources should be utilised to make the metro train project operational without any further delay, he added.

LDA Chief Engineer Habibul Haq Randhawa, NESPAK General Manager Salman Hafeez, Project Director Iqrar Hussain, Habib Construction Services CEO Shahid Saleem and representatives of Sarwar and Co and ZKB Reliable attended the meeting.

Earlier this month, Punjab Minister for Transport Muhammad Jehanzaib Khan Khichi had inaugurated trial run of the country’s first metro train project following prolonged delays and dozens of deadlines set for completion of the project.

OLMT project unlikely to meet Jan 2020 deadline

At present, finishing works is underway, besides testing and synchronisation of various systems designed to ensure safe and efficient metro train operations by Chinese engineers, who had sought a three-month’s time for testing and commissioning of the project, after which the project is expected to be operational by March 2020.

A joint venture of Chinese state-owned enterprises, China North Industries Group Corporation Limited (NORINCO) and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited (CRCCI), has already secured operations and maintenance (O&M) contract of the OLMT project. Once the project is handed over to Chinese O&M contractors, they would also test all equipment before starting drivers’ training.

The apex court had given January 2020 deadline to the provincial government to make metro train project functional. Though it is impossible for the government and Chinese engineers to achieve this target, the government had adopted a strategy to inaugurate test run of the project earlier this month to avoid reprimand of the apex court.

Development works of the OLMT project were initiated in 2014, which are near completion following several bottlenecks and hiccups.

‘Energised’ OLMT track poses safety risk

The OLMT project is part of the city metro network. The construction work started on October 25, 2015. It has a total length of 27.12 kilometers. Out of it, 25.4 kilometres track is elevated while 1.72 kilometres track has been made underground to protect the historical places. Orange line metro train has 26 stations – 24 stations are made at the height of 12 meters whereas two stations are underground. The number of trains is 27 and each train has five bogies of 20 meters long with 60 seats. Separate seats are allocated for women, senior citizens and special persons. The public address system is installed for the convenience of the passengers. The doors of the electric train are fully automatic and doors are also installed at the platform to ensure the double safety of the passengers.

This train will complete 27 kilometers distance from Ali Town to Dera Gujran in 45 minutes. It will pass through the congested areas of the city where more than 250,000 passengers daily travel. Official documents highlight that within the next few years, the train will facilitate 500,000 passengers daily.

Once the project is completed, it will connect Raiwind, Multan Road, Mcleod Road, Lahore Junction Railway Station and the Grand Trunk Road. It will be the first line of the Lahore Metro, which is the country’s first mass rapid transit train system.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 24^th, 2019.