MUHAMMAD SALEEM
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated the test run of the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train on Wednesday.
Shahbaz boarded the metro train from Islam Park station which completed its test run from Islam Park to Chowk Laxami successfully. The Chinese Consul General, ministers, Assembly members and a large number of people were present on the occasion.
Shahbaz Sharif said that Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore is a glowing and immortal example of Pakistan-China friendship.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, Shahbaz said, “Those who travel by helicopter and airplanes don’t know the woes of masses.”
Taking a jibe at the PTI chief, he said, “Niazi you have wasted 22 months of this nation. The people of Pakistan will reject PTI in the next polls.”
Shahbaz said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has now started work on metro project trains which Imran Khan once used to call “Jangla Bus Service”.
“Bani Gala and Bilawal House are pursuing the same politics. They didn’t do any work in their provinces and consider me dangerous for the future of their politics,” he said.
“Some people are in a state of shock after the inauguration of OLMT project. Lahore will be transferred into Paris when Blue Line (another mass transit project) will be completed”.
He claimed to have saved Rs 75 billion of provincial exchequer. The OLMT project was delayed for 22 months due to a stay order. However, the honorable Supreme Court gave green signal after 22 months to resume the work and the first successful test run was made within two months.
On the occasion, it was informed that the total length of Orange Line Metro track is 27.12 kilometers. Out of it, 25.4 kilometers track is elevated while 1.72 kilometers track has been made underground to protect the historical places.
The train has 26 stations. As many as 24 stations are made at the height of 12 meters whereas two stations have been constructed underground. The number of trains is 27 and each train has five bogies. This train will complete 27 kilometers distance from Ali Town to Dera Gujran in just 45 minutes.
It may be added that train will pass through the congested areas of the city where more than 250,000 passengers will travel daily. Within next few years, orange line metro train will facilitate 500,000 passengers daily.
