The project is a part of the China-Pak Economic Corridor (CPEC)
Punjab’s Chief Minister inaugurated the much anticipated Orange Line train in Lahore.
The train, which had an approximate cost of $1.55 billion, has a 27.5 km span. Apart from the 1.72 km underground, the rest is alleviated.
The fare for a single ride has been kept at 40 rupees per person and a quarter of a million people are expected to use the service every day. The ticket is subsidized to help the common traveler.
The project is a part of the Pak-China Economic Corridor. The project was approved in 2014 and work began in 2015.
Speaking on the occasion, Buzdar said that the mega project is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. He also said that the provincial government worked really hard to complete the project. “I thank the Chinese government for their help and support in completion of the project,” he stated.
The CM stated that Pakistan and China have good ties and will continue to extend cooperation in other sectors. Buzdar also said that that the service will benefit the people of Lahore and will address transport woes. “It will provide state-of-the-art transport facilities to the people with low travel cost,” he said.
A delayed project
The first soft run of the train service was done two years back. Routes and designs of the service were much debated and led to court cases, delaying the eventual completion. One of the greater concerns was the train moving close to Mughal Era buildings, the architectural heritage of the city. The vibrations could potentially damage their structural strength. After the elections, the newly elected Federal and Punjab governments were reluctant to go ahead with the mostly completed project. However, after long delays, the work on the project has been done and it is now available for use of the public.