Despite various impediments, the Lahore Orange Line Metro Train Project is very much on track as manufacturing of trains has also started by contactor the China North Industries Corporation side by side with civil works being executed by local companies, Khawaja Ahmad Hassan, the Chairman of the project's steering committee, has claimed.
The chairman addressing a gathering of the governing party's presidents and general secretaries of provincial constituencies in Lahore on Wednesday, which also drew in Members of National and Punjab Assemblies Mehr Ishtiaq, Majad Zahoor and Chaudhry Shahbaz and media representatives, told his audience, "The first mobilisation advance has been paid to the Chinese contactor which has started manufacturing 27 trains. The latest technology will be employed to fabricate these trains and the rolling-stock will be fully computerised, automatic and driverless."
He also said each train would be made up of five cars with each having a capacity to carry 200 passengers.
"Thus, each train will carry 100 commuters at a time. A total of 27,000 travellers will travel through the 27 trains during one operation," he said.
"The maximum speed will be 80 kilometres per hour covering a distance of 27 kilometres between Ali Town on the Raiwind Road and Dera Gujran in just 45 minutes.
"Initially, more than 250,000 passengers will daily benefit from this train and the figure will rise up to 500,000 in three years after the start of the train's operation. Separate seats in different colours will also be provided for special people in these cars."