Lahore Metro Train Orange Line to be Constructed on BOT basis

[Edevelop]

The 27-km-long Lahore Orange Line Metro Train would be constructed on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis while work on this mega project would be started by end of July 2015, official sources said on Monday.

A consortium of Chinese firms in collaboration with the Metro Bus Authority and the Punjab government will complete the project worth Rs 165 billion.

This project would be executed on BOT basis and the Chinese firms would run it for a period of 25 years. The Chinese hired the Lahore Development Authority (LDA) for the construction of track and other related works.

It is pertinent to mention here that it is also the largest project of mass transit in the country in which China is going to invest a huge amount on BOT basis.

The project is part of the metro network in the city and when completed, it will connect Raiwind, Multan Road, Mcleod Road, Lahore Junction Railway Station and the Grand Trunk Road. It will be the first line of the Lahore Metro, which is country’s first mass rapid transit train system. It would also be financed and developed by the Chinese government.

The corridor would be capable of accommodating two trains running both up and down the track, ferrying up to 30,000 passengers per hour.

The project will run on a 27.1 kilometre track, of which 25.4 kilometres will be elevated. The service will initially benefit around 250,000 passengers a day and this capacity will be increased to 500,000 passengers daily by 2025.

Orange Line Metro Train to be constructed on BOT basis | Pakistan Today

 

[aks18]

lets see when construction starts green line was also a metro train line but ganja was in very hurry of making the mass transit for 2013 election btw good to see metro coming to some pakistani city

 

[Hyde]

lets see when construction starts green line was also a metro train line but ganja was in very hurry of making the mass transit for 2013 election btw good to see metro coming to some pakistani city

You are right and also this project is not as interesting as the original design presented during the Musharraf's era as the 90% of this so-called metro is now elevated. If we had not taken the national interest before personal interest and continued developing Lahore metro project as originally planned, we may not have seen the Metro bus but you never know if the Metro train would be ready by now after 7 years of construction work.

We only opt for quick solutions but see if we had used the funds of Metro bus for metro train and completed in different phases in last 7 years, I am very certain it would have come out to be the best project in the transportation history of Pakistan.

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Green Line can be converted into Metro Train Anytime...

if it would have taken 7 or 8 years to complete Lahore Green Line Metro what you know how public and Media would have reacted... Plus if it was underground Pipeline broken telephones line sewerage line 2... it would have taken 4 times the Money... Even India And Jakarta Bangladesh And China Chengdu are building Elevated Bus tracks And trains line some parts are underground....

 

[Hyde]

Green Line can be converted into Metro Train Anytime...

if it would have taken 7 or 8 years to complete Lahore Green Line Metro what you know how public and Media would have reacted... Plus if it was underground Pipeline broken telephones line sewerage line 2... it would have taken 4 times the Money... Even India And Jakarta Bangladesh And China Chengdu are building Elevated Bus tracks And trains line some parts are underground....

Well these are pity excuses out of your love for PML-N.

I am sure you have never seen or travelled in underground metro system in the world? I am not accusing PML-N only but we Pakistanis has never chosen a leader who would envision long term strategy. PML-N is the biggest example of poster-party in my eyes where they will not spend in long term projects if the date of election is before the deadline of mega project. This is one of the reason why we have never been able to build dams despite crying out loudly on the media all the time.

I am not claiming to be always right but the original project of underground metro in Lahore sounded more logical, feasible and economically right and the only reason for cancellation in my impression is that it was initiated by Q League and they may have used it as election stunt in future despite the fact the whole project would have been completed under the government of Noon.

We do need effective solution for resolving transportation issues in Lahore but Punjab government has betrayed the nation for choosing less important project and deliberately ignored the most effective option for long term solution in my humble opinion.

 

[saurav]

Underground route is preferred one but Metros do have elevated tracks these days in areas where tunneling is not possible. In Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, we have elevated tracks.

Good to see Pakistan finally taking the initiative to build Metros. I however believed that Karachi would have got first Metro considering its the biggest money earning metropolis in the country.

 

[Adecypher]

Good to see Pakistan finally taking the initiative to build Metros. I however believed that Karachi would have got first Metro considering its the biggest money earning metropolis in the country.

Very unfortunate isn't it...

 

[livingdead]

good to see progress in lahore. Every big city should get metro.

 

[Hyde]

Underground route is preferred one but Metros do have elevated tracks these days in areas where tunneling is not possible. In Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, we have elevated tracks.

Good to see Pakistan finally taking the initiative to build Metros. I however believed that Karachi would have got first Metro considering its the biggest money earning metropolis in the country.

yes but like the original route, it is no longer an underground metro. Only less than 2 kilometres is underground so you basically have a light railway system probably caged like the bus and called it metro.

The way PML-N works in my opinion is, they talk about world's largest building and then make 5 story building and name it World's largest building. See they named the bus service as metro before (efficient though but we also had better alternatives available) and now repeating the same poster mentality with Lahore Metro (light or circular railway in my opinion).

good to see progress in lahore. Every big city should get metro.

Indeed but the minimum benchmark for Lahore metro should have been Delhi metro. Delhi is ideally and naturally a twin city of Lahore and its demands are very similar to Delhi in my opinion. This is the original plan of Lahore Metro and sounded more logical than the revised elevated route of the same project

Lahore Metro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If we start from scratch and keep building it, one day we will have the entire system operational, who cares if the critics would question the delay on this project, What the present government is interested is to initiate only those projects which it believes can be operational before the next general election.

 

[livingdead]

yes but like the original route, it is no longer an underground metro. Only less than 2 kilometres is underground so you basically have a light railway system probably caged like the bus and called it metro.

The way PML-N works in my opinion is, they talk about world's largest building and then make 5 story building and name it World's largest building. See they named the bus service as metro before (efficient though but we also had better alternatives available) and now repeating the same poster mentality with Lahore Metro (light or circular railway in my opinion).


Indeed but the minimum benchmark for Lahore metro should have been Delhi metro. Delhi is ideally and naturally a twin city of Lahore and its demands are very similar to Delhi in my opinion. This is the original plan of Lahore Metro and sounded more logical than the revised elevated route of the same project

Lahore Metro - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If we start from scratch and keep building it, one day we will have the entire system operational, who cares if the critics would question the delay on this project, What the present government is interested is to initiate only those projects which it believes can be operational before the next general election.

Underground is more expensive to build. Some areas you cannot build underground due to soil. Also, if it is cheaper to build overground, why not. Even london tube is overground in many places. Mumbai metro is elevated.
What is the reason they gave for building overground?

 

[Abingdonboy]

Underground is more expensive to build. Some areas you cannot build underground due to soil. Also, if it is cheaper to build overground, why not. Even london tube is overground in many places. Mumbai metro is elevated.
What is the reason they gave for building overground?

Mumbai metro phase 2 will have mostly underground sections.

 

[Hyde]

Underground is more expensive to build. Some areas you cannot build underground due to soil. Also, if it is cheaper to build overground, why not. Even london tube is overground in many places. Mumbai metro is elevated.
What is the reason they gave for building overground?

You didn't understand my point. I know underground is far more expensive to build. Even the London underground or Paris Subway is partially elevated but it's proximity is at least 70% - 80% underground I believe. In case of Delhi, I believe out of 140 stations of Delhi metro, 38 are underground and this is acceptable.

We had done the soil tests back in early 2000 and the land was declared fit for underground metro. Ok let me rephrase my point

We built metro bus at a cost of 30-80 billion rupees as claimed by various sources. Imagine it's 40 billion rupees which we spent in the whole year. If we had opted for underground rail system back in 2008, I believe the original cost was around slightly above 1 billion dollars for the same project. So yes it's a big amount but now divide it to 7 years and you realise that it was achievable. It's a one time investment and you would have had better transportation system ready to serve for decades to come.

We look for quick solutions rather than spreading out the project in years. If we can spend billions of rupees in Lahore Metro, Islamabad Metro and Multan Metro and also Karachi and Peshawar metrobus in other provinces. We could have followed the Delhi model of true underground system (mix of underground and elevated system and not only a kilometre of underground for name-sake).

 

[Edevelop]

@Aether

I think you are confusing . You need to understand there are different development models in the West and in the East. In Asia countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and Singapore like to have more Elevated than Underground. Just because you have used the Underground system doesn't mean its the only thing that defines to be a 'Metro'.

The same thing goes for Bus Rapid Transit. Just because its not in Europe doesn't mean you should dissaprove it. This type of project first began in South America and won awards for it. In Asia it gained popularity due to the fact that it is cheaper to build and to operate.

As far as Pakistan or specifically Punjab is concerned there was never a 100% Underground plan. The PMLQs Green line had 20 Elevated Stations. Yes there was political reason for PML-N to shelve it but also keep in mind it was never seriously on ground by PML-Q. The BRT as I said above is cheaper. It serves the same benefit in providing transportation to those who are in need.

 

[Kambojaric]

Underground route is preferred one but Metros do have elevated tracks these days in areas where tunneling is not possible. In Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai, we have elevated tracks.

Good to see Pakistan finally taking the initiative to build Metros. I however believed that Karachi would have got first Metro considering its the biggest money earning metropolis in the country.

Ideally it should be but Karachi is divided between three main parties supposedly representing their ethnic groups (PPP, ANP and MQM). Now PTI has also stretched one foot into Karachi. Too much politics going on there hence. In contrast Lahore is more politically stable. Peshawar too is expecting a metro in the near future but intra-political party rivalries in Karachi prevents any kind of significant projects materializing.

 

[Hyde]

@Aether

I think you are confusing . You need to understand there are different development models in the West and in the East. In Asia countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, India, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, China, and Singapore like to have more Elevated than Underground. Just because you have used the Underground system doesn't mean its the only thing that defines to be a 'Metro'.

The same thing goes for Bus Rapid Transit. Just because its not in Europe doesn't mean you should dissaprove it. This type of project first began in South America and won awards for it. In Asia it gained popularity due to the fact that it is cheaper to build and to operate.

As far as Pakistan or specifically Punjab is concerned there was never a 100% Underground plan. The PMLQs Green line had 20 Elevated Stations. Yes there was political reason for PML-N to shelve it but also keep in mind it was never seriously on ground by PML-Q. The BRT as I said above is cheaper. It serves the same benefit in providing transportation to those who are in need.

I am always up for innovative ideas but a city with population of 10 million and probably metropolitan area of Lahore with 2x more population would need a serious transportation network to resolve its issues. It obviously does need multiple lines going across the city and should be enough to serve millions of people on regular basis. A dedicated bus service though not bad is not good enough to meet its current and future demand. It has never happened anywhere in the world

We should be following the examples of India and Bangladesh who are going exactly on the right track. Dhaka Metro, Delhi Metro or Bangalore/Namma Metro should have been role model for us

PS: On this very same forum I have defended Lahore metrobus in past and I still stand by my words but when it comes to choosing the best of project, we definitely have been on the losing cause.