Punjab capital Lahore’s Orange Line Metro Train will help Pakistan address its growing demand for public transportation, according to a report published in Chinese tabloid Global Times.
a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University, on the mass rapid transit train set to be launched in Lahore within the first six months of 2020. The introduction of a first-rate, modern public transit service will be a major boon to the Pakistani economy and its people, said Zhou, adding that Lahore boasted a population of over 10 million people, increasing demand for viable public transportation.
Addressing increasing traffic congestion at an affordable cost would be key, Zhou said.
The Orange Line Metro Train was put through its first test run last week after the completion of the project’s physical infrastructure stage. The move is considered to be a major step forward under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), though the project is being financed in its entirety by the Punjab government.
The test run last week covered the train’s entire 25-kilometer route. Covering 26 stations, including 24 elevated stops and two underground stations, the train is expected to cut travel time across the city by over 70 percent.