Metro train to revolutionise urban transport, says Shahbaz

CM orders arrangements be made to avoid traffic jams during construction

LAHORE:

The Lahore Orange Line Metro Train project is the first of its kind in the country. It will revolutionise the transport sector, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday.

He was presiding over a meeting to review progress on the train project.

“This project has special significance for the people of the Punjab as well as for the rest of the country. It will be a masterpiece,” he said.

The CM said that work would be carried out round-the-clock on the project to complete the project on time. “Modern transport facilities will become available to more citizens after the completion of the project. The government is committing resources for the provision of safe, comfortable and affordable transport facilities to the masses,” he said.He said that the project would be completed speedily and in a transparent manner. He said that government was working hard to make the project a success.

He directed the departments concerned to ensure high construction standards. “No compromise will be made on the quality of construction work. Safety arrangements of international standards should be made during implementation of the project,” he said. He said that steps should be taken for maintaining the flow of traffic during the construction. “A vigorous public awareness campaign should be launched during the construction phase. The federal and provincial departments should work in a coordinated manner for removal of utility services from the project route,” he said. Shehnaz said the committee overseeing the project should meet twice a month. Lahore Transport Company chairman Khawaja Ahmed Hassaan, the Planning and Development Board chairman, the Lahore division commissioner also attended the meeting.

LDA awaits prime minister’s word on opening Orange Line construction

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) has completed arrangements for the launch of the Orange Line Metro Train project. It has sent a request to the prime minister’s office seeking his participation in the groundbreaking ceremony, LDA Chief Engineer Israr Saeed said on Monday. He said a date for the ceremony would be finalised as soon as the LDA received a response from the office of the prime minister.

The LDA chief engineer said a delegation from the Chinese company working on the project had arrived in the city for consultations with the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK).

He said all procedural requirements like signing of loan agreement with China EximBank and award of contract for civil works to two engineering companies, Habib Construction Services (HCS) and Maqbool Kolson, had been taken care of.

HCS chief executive Shahid Saleem said from an engineering perspective the construction of the metro track was easier compared to the construction of the Azadi Chowk interchange (completed in 2014). However, he said his company was more excited to work on the metro train project because it would be the first such train in the country. He said it had taken the company 165 days to finish work on the Azadi Chowk interchange. Saleem said the companies would be responsible for completion of civil works along the train track. The Chinese company would complete electrical and mechanical works, he said. He said some equipment to be used in the construction of the track would be imported from either China or the United Arab Emirates. These included 250 cranes which would be used to fix U-shaped girders over 13 to 18 metres high pillars along the route, he said. He said the company had set a 10-month timeline for completion of the work assigned to it.

The HCS chief executive said construction work would not affect business activity along the route. He said a plan had been evolved to prevent damage to historic buildings along the route.  The elevated portion of the track would be 13 to 18 metres high. A 1.75 km segment, starting at Lakshmi Chowk, would be underground.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2015.