LAHORE:
The first consignment of five wagons for the country’s first metro train, the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT), will reach Lahore by the end of this month.
The OLMT Steering Committee Chairman Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan told that final inspection of train wagons was underway in China after which the first train wagons would be shipped for Pakistan. He said
all 27 trains would reach Lahore by August or September as the government had targeted to start nation’s first metro train operations by the end of the current year.
Ahmed said over 71% civil works of the metro project had already been completed and he had directed project civil contractors to finalise two model stations, Salamatpura and Islam Park, by July 31. He had directed officials concerned to install information signs and ticketing kiosks and made arrangements for security of completed stations.
Answering a question, he disclosed, a sub-committee was in a process of finalising information sign designs.
“I have directed them to opt the best available option for which some experts have visited and inspected information signs of similar projects in different countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Most likely we will install information signs similar to the Dubai Metro as it has latest design and technology,” he maintained.
As
monsoon had started earlier this year, he said, all contractors had been directed to provide safety gears to their workers and ensure proper safety measures were taken to avoid any untoward incident. Rescue 1122 had also been asked to conduct a short safety training course for its workers.