Manufacturing of orange trains starts, says Kh Hassan

LAHORE

A Chinese contractor has started manufacturing trains for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project while the on ground civil works are also being carried out with full speed by the local companies. 

This was revealed by Kh Ahmad Hassan, chairman of the steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project, while addressing the PML-N presidents and general secretaries of provincial constituencies of Lahore on Wednesday. Kh Ahmad Hassan said first mobilisation advance had been paid to the Chinese contractor who started manufacturing a total of 27 trains for this system. Latest technology will be employed for fabricating these trains and the rolling-stock will be fully computerised, automatic and driverless.  He each train will comprise of five cars and every car will have the capacity for carrying 200 passengers. Each train will give ride to one thousand commuters at a time. A total of 27 thousand travellers will travel through the 27 trains during one operation, he added. Maximum speed of the train will be 80-km per hour and to end 27-kilometre-long journey from Ali Town Raiwind Road to Dera Gujran will be covered in just 45 minutes. Initially more than 250,000 passengers will daily benefit from this train and the figure will rise up to 500.000 within three years after the start of train’s operation, he said. Separate seats, with dissimilar colours
will also be provided for special persons in these cars of Lahore Orange Line Metro Train, he added.

Construction work has been stopped at certain points due to restraining order, however, it was in full swing at other places as per schedule and will be completed in time, he maintained. He informed that pre-cast U-tub used in construction of metro track has been prepared and was being tested for load these days. This will help in further expediting the construction work.

Kh Ahmad Hassan observed that provision of first tranche of loan amounting to more than Rs 33 for the project by the EXIM Bank of China, despite speculations and propaganda, was the result of sincere efforts of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. It was also the manifestation of the confidence of the Chinese government in the leadership of these leaders, he maintained.

He observed that opponents of this project did not want welfare of the masses and wanted to hamper this project by creating uncertainty. Provision of such a huge amount from China was disappointing for these elements. He urged them not to make this project controversial as it aimed at the welfare of the masses.

Earlier, participants of the meeting offered Fateha for the departed souls of seven labourers who lost their lives day before yesterday when a wall caved in on the camp where they had been residing.