Metro train starts test run on Package-II
LAHORE - The trial run of Orange Line Metro Train started on Package II on Wednesday though the multi-billion project will take another two to three months to be completed.
Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister Khawaja Ahmed Hassan inaugurated the test service from Ali Town Station to Scheme More along with PML-N provincial ministers and local council representative.
The train speed was kept slow in test service and it covered the nine kilometre distance on Package II in half hour.
Khawaja Hassan told the reporters that track was laid on 20 stations among total 26. He claimed the work of lying track on remaining six stations will be completed in next month. Similarly, he said the grey structure of 24 elevated and one underground stations was also completed. Punjab CM Shehbaz Sharif on last Wednesday inaugurated the test run on Package I, from Dera Gujran to Laxmi Chowk.
Khawaja Hassan said the track was laid on 10.9km out of total 13.7km on Package I and nine km out of toal 13.4km on Package II. Hence, he said, the track on 20km was laid on total 27km. He said 73 escalators out of 77 on Package I and 65 out 80 on Package II were installed. Similarly, he informed 46 elevators out of 48 on Package I and 44 out of total 52 on Package II were also installed.
It is important to mention here that initially, the project will facilitate 0.25 million people daily, whereas by 2025, it is expected to facilitate 0.5m people every day. Under the project, 27 trains — with five bogies each — will travel across the track in 45 minutes, a journey which previously took 2.5 hours, according to the Punjab Government
The OLMT route begins at Ali Town and ends at the Dera Gujran/Ring Road Interchange. The stops are: Ali Town - Raiwind Road - Thokar Niaz Baig - Multan Road - Chauburji - Lake Road - Ustadullah Bakhsh Road - GPO Chowk - Macleod Road - Nicholson Road - Boharwala Chowk - Sultanpura - GT Road - Dera Gujran/Ring Road Interchange.