75.3pc civil work of Orange Train completes

LAHORE: Rolling stock for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train has been manufactured as per international standards for providing economical and safe mode of commuting to the people.

Advisor to the Chief Minister, Punjab and Chairman of the steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train (LOMT) project Khawaja Ahmad Haassan said this while chairing the weekly progress review meeting here on Wednesday.

He said a total of 27 trains would be operated under the LOMT and each train would comprise five carriages.

Every compartment of the train is 20 meters long with 60 seats and travel capacity of 200 passengers.

Separate seats have been reserved for elderly, disabled and women in these carriages. A public address system has also been installed in the train for announcing the name of next station after every stop over.

He said that an energy-saving air-conditioning system suitable for the constant high summer temperature in Pakistan has been designed and installed in the train.

He said the Chinese contractor CR-NORINCO has issued schedule for arrival of locomotives for the train in Lahore. As many as 23 train sets would arrive Lahore by the end of this year and coaches for all the 27 trains would be available in Lahore by the mid of March 2018.

The meeting was informed that 75.3 per cent of the civil work on Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project has so far been completed.

Progress on package-I from Dera Gujjaran, G.T Road to Chauburji was 86.7 per cent, on package-II from Chaburji to Ali Town was 56.3 per cent, on Depot near Dera Gujran was 80.1 per cent while on Stabling Yard near Ali Town was 77.3 per cent.

Khawaja Ahmad Haassan directed for taking the project as a challenge by executing work on fast track and setting short timelines for accomplishing various tasks.

He directed the civil and E&M contractors for increasing labour force for this purpose for completing the project as per the deadline.

Mayor Lahore Mubashir Javed, Chief Traffic Officer Rai Ejaj Ahmad, Chief Engineer LDA Asrar Saeed, Chief Engineer TEPA Saif Ur Rahman,General Manager NESPAK Salman Hafeez, senior officials of LESCO, WASA, PTCL, SUI GAS, Traffic Police, Railways, Rescue 1122, Civil Defence, Chinese Contractor, CR- NOROINCO, Representatives of Chinese Engineering Consultant and Local Contractors of the project attended the meeting.