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China signs funding agreement for Lahore metro

anant_s

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THE Punjab provincial government's economics affairs secretary Mr Tariq Bajwa and Mr Sun Ping, vice president of Exim Bank of China, signed a Rs 162bn ($US 1.55bn) soft loan agreement to fund the entire Lahore Orange Line metro project during a ceremony held on December 21.
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The 27.1km Orange Line, 25.4km of which will be elevated, will run from Ali Town via the main railway station and the University of Engineering and Technology to Dera Gujran. It will have capacity for 30,000 passenger per hour and is expected to serve 250,000 passengers per day

The project was initially agreed between the Chinese and Pakistan governments in May 2014. However, a series of national sit-in protests delayed progress.

As part of the agreement for the project, Chinese contractors are responsible for construction but they have said that they could subcontract electrical and mechanical works to Pakistani companies. Pakistan's chief minister Mr Shahbaz Sharif says the project will be completed within 27 months.

Funding for the project is part of the larger $US 46bn China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement signed in April, which is a major investment in Pakistan's transport, telecommunications and energy infrastructure as part of China's One Belt, One Road strategy.

China's prime minister Mr Li Keqiang has described the project as gift from the Chinese people to Pakistan.

China signs funding agreement for Lahore metro | International Railway Journal
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Fast growing metropolitan cities around the world are facing problem of public transportation system, which is not only technically advanced and designed for needs of tomorrow, but also environmentally benign.
Electric metro transport system, is an effective solution to this problem and given its wide acceptability all around the world, with mature designs available, it probably is the future of public transport.

@AndrewJin @WAJsal @cb4 @Irfan Baloch
 
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Well its already under construction. This agreement and ceremony is just a formality.
 
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Metros services are the way forward. This would reduce pollution, ease traffic congestions and be a boon for local everyday commuters. This is a must-have convenience for all tier 1 and tier 2 cities.

However, dependence on loans must be done with caution as pay-back time is bound to hurt. The loan for this project is Rs 15,000 crores PKR over 15-20 years which translates to more than Rs 1000 crores PKR per year! That's a lot of dosh!
 
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As part of the agreement for the project, Chinese contractors are responsible for construction but they have said that they could subcontract electrical and mechanical works to Pakistani companies.

Not true

Habib Construction is making the 13.6 km section of Lahore Orange line Metro train followed by other companies Pakistani
Nespak is the consultant :P
 
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Metro indeed is the best option for a highly dense metropolitan region. My city has just inaugurated the fourth subway this week and more than 10 subways are under construction at the same time. I hope Lahore metro can be put in use as soon as possible for the good of local citizens. And I also hope the promise of the city mayor of my hometown will come true, 2 subways open every year from 2016!
 
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When completed it will ease the traffic congestion of Lahore a little. I look forward to travelling on it one day.
 
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