Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project is right on track : Khawaja Ahmad Hassan

Lahore : The Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project was right on track as more than 48 percent construction work of the project has so far been completed besides substantial progress on nine out of the 11 elevated stations being built from Dera gujjran to Mcleod Road along package one of the project.

Chairman of the steering committee for Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project Khawaja Ahmad Hassan informed this while chairing the weekly progress review meeting here Wednesday.

The meeting was told that NESPAK has constituted a special task force for expeditious preparation of designs for these stations. A three member delegation of architects from NESPAK will soon proceed for China and UAE for visiting metro-stations in Dubai, Beijing & Shanghai for this purpose. NESPAK has also prepared a proposal for linking underground Anarkali Station of Orange Line with Jain Mandar Station of Green Line Metro Bus through an underpass. The proposal has been handed over to Punjab Mass Transit Authority for  further deliberations.

The meeting was told that U-tub girders have been precast for laying rail track for the metro train. Launching of these U-tub girders will start next week.

Khawaja Ahmad Hassan directed for preparing a fool-proof Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), clearly specifying duties of relevant departments, for launching of these structures. He further directed for taking all the departments concerned on-board, in advance, especially the traffic police in this regard.

Khawaja Hassan Ahmad directed for providing comprehensive and adequate security to the Chinese Experts working for this project in Lahore. ‘No slackness or negligence in this regard was tolerable,’ he stressed. He directed the officials of Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMA) for taking up this matter with the relevant departments for this purpose.

The chairman directed for provision of water supply and sewerage connections at the metro train stations besides making fire-fighting arrangements, installation of fire alarms, water sprinklers, chemical sprinklers etc. at these places. He further directed for speeding up building of under-construction parts of Kinnaird High School, Empress Road and the two schools along Multan Road by utilizing additional labour for this purpose