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Chinese company offers to build a state-of-the-art mass transit system in Islamabad
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A Chinese company has offered to build a state-of-the-art mass transit system in the capital city of Islamabad, recommending a modern ‘Light Rail Transit’ (LRT) project for the city.
The company NORINCO International is already engaged in the construction of ‘Orange Line Metro Train project’ in Lahore.
Representatives from Chinese company visited the Capital Development Authority (CDA) to deliver a presentation for the establishment of a state of the art transport project in Islamabad.
The Member Planning CDA, Asad Mehboob Kiani, represented the civic body along with other officers of the Authority including the director transport engineering.
A brief comparison among Metro Train, Light Rail Transit (Tram) and Traditional Light Rail Transit was presented before the city managers. The company representatives highlighted different merits and demerits of aforementioned three kinds of transport systems but recommended the Light Rail Transit for Islamabad.
The LRT or fast tram is urban public transport using rolling stock similar to a tramway, but operating at a higher capacity, and often on an exclusive right-of-way.
The proposed LRT for Islamabad by NORINCO International will have the capacity to facilitate some 8000 to 20000 passengers per hour while its each unit will have the capacity to occupy 350-700 passengers at a time.
The maximum speed of the proposed LRT is 80 kilometers per hour, but it operates on the speed of 20-35 kilometers per hour while the project can be feasible on both dedicated or partially dedicated right of the way.
The estimated cost of the project would be around one billion rupees per kilometer.
The presentation included that the planned mass transit system between Islamabad and Rawalpindi is primarily divided on four tracks: Orange Line (Bara Kahu to New Islamabad Airport via Kashmir Highway), Red Line (Rawalpindi Saddar to Pak Secretariat), Blue Line (Kutcheri chowk, Rawalpindi to Zero Point Interchange, Islamabad via Islamabad Expressway), Green Line (Kutcheri chowk, Rawalpindi to 9thAvenue, Islamabad via the I.J.P Road).